Anton Strålman
Swedish defenceman who played five seasons for Tampa Bay Lightning.
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Anton Strålman is a former Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for several teams, including the Tampa Bay Lightning. He is notable for his tenure with the Lightning from 2014 to 2019, during which he set career highs in goals, assists, and points while helping the team reach the 2015 Stanley Cup Final.
Lore & Background
Strålman signed a five-year, $22 million contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning on 1 July 2014 as an unrestricted free agent, leaving the New York Rangers. In his first season with the Lightning, he played on the first defensive unit with fellow countryman Victor Hedman and set career highs in goals (nine), assists (30), and points (39). The Lightning reached the 2015 Stanley Cup Final, defeating Strålman's former team, the Presidents' Trophy-winning New York Rangers, in seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals before losing to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.
On 27 November 2015, Strålman played his 500th career NHL game in a 2–4 loss to the Washington Capitals. On 25 March 2016, he suffered a non-displaced fracture of his left fibula during a 7–4 win over the New York Islanders, causing him to miss the last eight games of the regular season and the first two rounds of the 2016 playoffs. He returned for the third round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins, which the Lightning lost in seven games, one win short of a second consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearance.
Reader's Guide
Anton Strålman's five seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning marked a significant period in his career, as he achieved personal bests in offensive production while playing a key role on the team's top defensive pairing. His arrival in 2014 coincided with the Lightning's run to the 2015 Stanley Cup Final, where they fell to the Chicago Blackhawks.
The following season, despite a fractured fibula that sidelined him for part of the regular season and early playoffs, he returned to help the Lightning reach the Eastern Conference Final, again falling one win short of the Stanley Cup Final. Strålman's tenure with the Lightning is remembered for his steady defensive play and his partnership with Victor Hedman, which contributed to the team's deep playoff runs. After leaving Tampa Bay in 2019, he continued his NHL career with the Florida Panthers, Arizona Coyotes, and Boston Bruins before returning to Sweden to play for HV71 in the Swedish Hockey League.
Career statistics and honours
Medals
- Gold 2017 IIHF World Championship
- Bronze 2009 IIHF World Championship
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 2002–03 | Skövde IK | SWE.2 U20 | 46 | 20 | 9 | 29 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2003–04 | Skövde IK | SWE.3 | 27 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 18 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| 2004–05 | Skövde IK | SWE.2 | 41 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 34 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| 2005–06 | Timrå IK | SEL | 45 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2005–06 | Timrå IK | J20 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2006–07 | Timrå IK | SEL | 53 | 10 | 11 | 21 | 34 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 10 |
| 2007–08 | Toronto Marlies | AHL | 21 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2007–08 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 50 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2008–09 | Toronto Marlies | AHL | 36 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 24 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 2008–09 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 38 | 1 | 12 | 13 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2009–10 | Columbus Blue Jackets | NHL | 73 | 6 | 28 | 34 | 37 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2010–11 | Columbus Blue Jackets | NHL | 51 | 1 | 17 | 18 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2011–12 | New York Rangers | NHL | 53 | 2 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 4 |
| 2012–13 | New York Rangers | NHL | 48 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 16 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013–14 | New York Rangers | NHL | 81 | 1 | 12 | 13 | 26 | 25 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| 2014–15 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 82 | 9 | 30 | 39 | 26 | 26 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 8 |
| 2015–16 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 73 | 9 | 25 | 34 | 20 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 2016–17 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 73 | 5 | 17 | 22 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2017–18 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 80 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 8 |
| 2018–19 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 47 | 2 | 15 | 17 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2019–20 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 69 | 5 | 14 | 19 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2020–21 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 38 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021–22 | Arizona Coyotes | NHL | 74 | 8 | 15 | 23 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2022–23 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2022–23 | Providence Bruins | AHL | 17 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2023–24 | HV71 | SHL | 48 | 2 | 14 | 16 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — |
| SHL totals | 146 | 13 | 29 | 42 | 72 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 10 | ||
| NHL totals | 938 | 63 | 230 | 293 | 287 | 112 | 6 | 20 | 26 | 28 | ||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Sweden | WJC | 6th | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2006 | Sweden | WJC | 5th | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 2007 | Sweden | WC | 4th | 9 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2008 | Sweden | WC | 4th | 8 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 31 |
| 2009 | Sweden | WC | Bronze | 7 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 2016 | Sweden | WCH | 3rd | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 2017 | Sweden | WC | Gold | 10 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Junior totals | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | |||
| Senior totals | 38 | 7 | 13 | 20 | 47 | |||
Tables copied from the source article, totals included as the source gives them: Wikipedia: Anton Strålman (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wide tables scroll sideways.
Did You Know?
- He was named a candidate for the 2006 Elitserien Rookie of the Year award.
- Strålman helped Sweden win gold at the 2017 IIHF World Championship with a 2–1 victory over Canada.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Anton Strålman?
Anton Strålman is a Swedish-born defenceman, born on August 1, 1986, who spent five NHL seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning between 2014 and 2019. He was originally selected in the seventh round (216th overall) by the Toronto Maple Leafs back in 2005.
What was Anton Strålman's role on the Lightning?
He served as a depth defenceman who could reliably contribute offensively, setting personal career highs in goals, assists, and total points during his time in Tampa Bay. His two-way play helped round out the back end of the Lightning's defensive corps.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Anton Strålman (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Statistics, medals and awards: the tables of the source article.
- Word definitions: the Codexery glossary, each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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