New Jersey Devils Should Re-sign Blake Coleman In Free Agency

After winning back-to-back Stanley Cup Championships, the Tampa Bay Lightning have some major cap trouble and some of their depth will be taking their services elsewhere. The Lightning can only afford to sign players to a league-minimum deal. One of the players likely to move is impending UFA and former New Jersey Devils‘ fan-favorite Blake Coleman.

While not a big body, Coleman brings everything the Devils need. Losing him at the 2020 trade deadline was hard despite the major price the Lightning paid to get him. He hits, plays on both sides of the rink with tenacity, and can score goals. The leadership he showed was huge in his time in New Jersey and now he brings the winning mentality backed up by a pair of Cups. With older players like Travis Zajac, Andy Greene, and Kyle Palmieri gone, a player like him is invaluable.

Currently, the Devils’ middle six is lacking despite Jack Hughes‘ line doing well last season. If the Devils wish to compete, then changes are necessary. Coleman proved in New Jersey he can move up and down the lineup, but the best spot would be in a depth role, should this team be any good.

Building a third line around him with the previously mentioned skillset he brings would give the Devils a good base to build from. Should some of the younger players such as Alexander Holtz or Dawson Mercer make this team in the upcoming season playing with a Coleman will do wonders for them. He can cover up defensively if a mistake is made while not hurting in the offensive zone in any way. His tenacity and puck retrieval would work well with a player who may be a little more hesitant to do the dirty work and if someone on your line is willing to do the hard things that is the best way to show how things need to be done at this level while they grow. A positive influence on a young player should not be overlooked.

His underlying numbers have always been good, even on the Cup Champions. He is above average on a team with some of the most talent in the league. People around the league started to take notice as well and he even received Selke votes in the 2019-2020 season. The Devils penalty kill was one of the worst in decades. Putting another defensive-minded forward on the team will make an impact on that unit. When the team is in the lead, moving him with Nico Hischier could give the coaches some confidence that they can play more than one way for at least part of the game and hold a lead.

The Devils have a ton of cap space and could offer a decent deal that most teams could not match, especially the Lightning. Coleman is currently 29 and plays a hard game but will still have a few good years in him for sure and with what he brings the Devils would be wise to offer him a three or four-year deal at a sizeable raise of $3.25-3.5 million a season. This would be a jump from his current 1.8 million and give him a little bit of term that can be hard at times for depth players to find but still give the Devils the room they need to get a defender this season.