Former New Jersey Devils forward Blake Coleman is a Stanley Cup champion.
The New Jersey Devils traded Blake Coleman a very long time ago. As long ago as it was, it was still this past season when they sent him to the Tampa Bay Lightning for picks and prospects. You might remember that brilliant one-handed goal he scored for the Devils on opening night, the one year anniversary of that is next week. Well, after one of the strangest few months in the history of the human race, Blake Coleman is a Stanley Cup Champion.
The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Dallas Stars in six games to win the Cup for the second time in franchise history. Blake Coleman had himself a goal in this game to make it 2-0 and give the Lightning the insurance goal they wanted. He was a key member of what became the best third line in the playoffs with Yanni Gourde and Barclay Goodrow.
It was remarkable to see the NHL make it over two months in two bubbles with 0 COVID-19 cases reported. It was a long road to get this Cup awarded, and we got to see our guy be a part of it. He was a great player for them in his short stint there and made himself even more known there during his time in the bubble.
Coleman was also well known as a fan favorite for his time in New Jersey. He was that fan favorite because of everything he showed in the playoffs with the Lightning. He works hard, grinds every shift, and can make big offensive plays from time to time. He is the perfect depth piece on a good team. When the Devils are ready to compete for the Stanley Cup again, they are going to want to find themselves another version of Coleman.
The Lightning also has many other great players who deserve some love here. Steven Stamkos only played in one period of the bubble but he scored a goal and got his team the spark they needed. Braydon Point and Nikita Kucherov were remarkable as usual and Victor Hedman won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs. We can’t forget Andrei Vasilevskiy, who is one of the best goalies in the world and now a Stanley Cup Champion.
Congrats to the lightning on winning it all, they deserve it. Hopefully, the Devils are able to mold their young players over the next decade the way that Tampa Bay did. It is a long road with a lot of pain in between, but it is well worth it.