The Tampa Bay Lightning are bolstering their blueline.
According to Frank Seravalli, the Lightning have signed Ian Cole to a one-year contract worth $3 million.
Hearing #tblightning and D Ian Cole have agreed to terms on a 1-year, $3 million deal.@DailyFaceoff
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) July 13, 2022
Cole was selected with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2007 NHL Draft by the St. Louis Blues. He’s played 12 seasons in the NHL and has played for the Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins, Colorado Avalanche, Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild, and Carolina Hurricanes.
Cole inked a one-year, $2.9 million deal with Carolina last summer. He played in 75 games for the Hurricanes in 2021-22 and scored 19 points while logging an average of 17:09 per game. Cole also logged 14:38 per game over 14 playoff games for the Hurricanes this spring.
Adding Cole gives the Lightning a much-needed veteran shutdown defender after the team traded away Ryan McDonagh as a salary cap dump earlier in the offseason. With Victor Hedman and Mikhail Sergachev as the top two defenders on the left side, Cole figures to play in a third-pairing, defensive role for the Lightning.