The New Jersey Devils have some interesting decisions to make this offseason with their restricted free agents. The one that brings the most questions in Blake Coleman.
There are so many major decisions the New Jersey Devils need to make with their roster this offseason. They have around $20 million in cap space, but some key middle six players who’s contracts come to an end. Luckily, most of those contracts are of the restricted free agent kind, giving the Devils more time to figure out a deal.
The biggest restricted free agent could be Blake Coleman. Coming into this season, not much was expected of the 26-year-old rookie. He came into this season with 23 NHL games and 66 AHL games under his belt. He was a hard-nosed forward with little offensive upside.
Who knew he would become one of the most clutch performers on the ice. Coleman was a main cog on the penalty kill. When the Devils needed to keep shots away from their netminder, Blake Coleman was on the ice.
Despite being one of five Devils with more than 100 faceoffs in the defensive zone. He made sure he kept the Devils in a good position as much as possible.
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Even with his value defensively, he still provided some offense. He scored 12 goals over his 69 games. Coleman added two more goals in their five-game postseason run. He even scored two game winners in crucial games over the season. One was the decider against the Penguins, another gave the Devils a 4-3 win over the Islanders late in the season.
So the question is, what is he worth? Coleman made $660,000 last season. He’s due for somewhat of a raise, but how much exactly? It’s not like he’s a star player. It also took until his 25 year old season to make it to the NHL. This isn’t a player that can’t be replaced, but one you definitely want to keep on the roster.
Honestly, I feel like a two-year deal, where Coleman is paid $750,000 in the first year then $1 million in the second year is more than fair. He pretty much hit his ceiling this season. Maybe he could get to 15 goals and 35 points, but more than that would surprise me. He’s a great player to go to when needed, but not the type that will break the bank. It’s important to re-sign him, but it shouldn’t take too long based on the price.