New Jersey Devils: Landing Blake Coleman Could Work Out

The New Jersey Devils might make some more moves over the next week. Dougie Hamilton is the big free agent that fans want to see them land but there are some other transactions to be made as well. One of them could be the signing of Blake Coleman. Of course, the man known as “pickles” around these parts used to play for the New Jersey Devils before being traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Since that move, Coleman and the Lightning have won back-to-back Stanley Cups.

Coleman is a free agent and has pretty much no chance of being resigned by Tampa. It isn’t because they don’t like him. It is simply because they can’t afford to sign him for what he is worth under the salary cap. Tampa Bay gave New Jersey a lot for Coleman but it worked out times two.

It may be wishful thinking but Coleman would be a great fit on the Devils. He might not be worth five million dollars or anything close to that but he would be a solid addition on a fair contract. If he is willing to take a fair deal, the Devils should really consider it.

Of course, the Devils are a very young team. Kids like Nico Hischier, Ty Smith, Jack Hughes, and Mackenzie Blackwood are expected to lead the way. Even the depth pieces like Jesper Bratt, Yegor Sharangovich, Michael McLeod, and Janne Kuokkanen are all really young. Miles Wood is somewhat of a veteran on this team and he isn’t even that old.

The New Jersey Devils could use some more leadership on their roster going forward.

When you think about someone like P.K. Subban, you might as well picture a grandpa compared to the rest of the squad at the extremely old age of 32. Obviously, if your oldest player is 32 you are a really young team. That is why adding someone like Coleman might really help.

In his NHL career, Blake Coleman has become a very nice depth, two-way player. He can be used in all situations. If the Devils need some help at even strength, Blake Coleman can get the job done. He can play on the power play if needed. He can absolutely kill penalties. The Devils would instantly become a better team if they added this guy.

In 301 NHL games, he has 71 goals and 55 assists for 126 points. Those aren’t superstar numbers but they are very good for a middle-six forward. He also had 20 goals or more in both 2018-19 and 2019-20. He had 14 goals in 55 games during the shortened 2020-21 season which is a pace of 20 goals over a full season. Those don’t grow on trees. If the Devils are able to get him for a price that is fair, they should really do it. Coleman might consider it knowing how well he fits in.