Quote:
Originally Posted by TheScorpion
For what it's worth, Evolving-Hockey's model pegged Coleman as the seventh-most valuable skater on the 2021 Lightning. Behind only Point, Hedman, Gourde, Palat, Killorn, and Cernak. Ahead of Stamkos, Cirelli, Sergachev, Johnson, Goodrow, Colton, McDonagh, Foote, etc.
15th definitely seems like a massive stretch. Coleman is a very good player and has a history of excellent play in a top-six role (with NJ).
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I’m sure Coleman is and has been a fine top/middle-6 forward for much of his career, and 15th is obviously some hyperbole.
But he’s the exact sort of player you don’t overpay to acquire. An aging winger who is nowhere close to the best player on his team.
Just like Neal, just like Brouwer, just like Glencross. Just like Hudler, who was better than Coleman could ever dream of being (and 28 when he signed with us the first time, AND a non-day 1 signing at that).
Like, Gio signed his extension at 31 and earned or outperformed his contract every year.
If Coleman is a $5M player for two of these six years, I will be pleasantly surprised. After all, neither of the last two day 1 UFA wingers on the wrong side of 30 justified their acquisitions.
Brouwer’s cap penalty expires after this year. We have another two years of paying $3.5M enforcer Milan Lucic $5.4M.
I wonder when and how we’ll need to disappear Blake Coleman over the next six years, but I don’t wonder if.