[mile]

https://calgarysun.com/sports/hockey...-like-old-self

While Coleman didn’t dish on the details, he revealed that something has been bugging him since back-to-back Stanley Cup runs with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021.

He mentioned “procedures” over the summer. Yes, plural.

“After those two Cup runs, it was just something that I never really had time to fully attack it and let it heal. With the long off-season this past summer, it gave me a chance to kind of address that,” Coleman told Postmedia. “It’s still something I manage. But on the ice, it’s the best I’ve felt physically and I think I’m starting to play the way that I need to. A little more physical, a little more strong at the net, just not shying away from anything really. That’s a big part of my game.

“My bread and butter is obviously not giving much up on the defensive side,” Coleman said. “But I think if you look at my last two seasons before coming here, I was on pace for somewhere in the 40s in points and the 20s in goals, and that’s more of what I expect from myself. It’s still early in the year, but if I continue to play this way, I think it’s a pretty reasonable expectation.”

Speaking with reporters in Seattle earlier this week, coach Ryan Huska agreed this is the best version of Coleman that he’s seen in the Flaming C, saying that “he’s been engaged, he’s playing with pace and he’s playing to his identity” and adding that he’s been doing all that on a consistent basis.

The skipper has also mentioned on several occasions that the letter-less Coleman is an important part of the leadership group, indicating his influence goes beyond the goals and assists, beyond the dependable defensive work that includes a regular role on the penalty-kill.

“There’s a lot of positivity to him,” Huska said. “In the dressing room, when things start to slide a little bit, you want someone to pick your team up. You want a little bit of a jolt of emotion. He’s been the guy that has been giving it.