Trade Analysis: Blake “Pickles” Coleman

By: Michael Wax

The New Jersey Devils decided to start their fire sale yesterday, sending captain Andy Greene to the Islanders and forward Blake Coleman to the Lightning. Many Lightning fans seemed upset about their end of the trade, believing that it was too hefty of a price tag to give up for a bottom-six player. However, upon further inspection, I’ll attempt to explain why Blake Coleman to the Lightning was a fair trade for both sides while grading each team’s performance.

What the Lightning Got

Blake Coleman is the piece the Lightning need in order to get over the top. The 28-year-old is having a career season, on pace to crush his career-high in both goals (22) and points (36). It’s incredibly impressive when you consider how bad the Devils have been this season, and how the Devils are 3^rd-worst in the Eastern Conference in goals for.

Coleman has also taken fewer penalties than last year, showing an increased awareness. His main contribution, however, is going to be his defense and penalty killing. A pairing of Anthony Cirelli and Blake Coleman would be outstanding defensively, as both rank among the top of the league in xGA/60 (expected goals against per 60 minutes) and CA/60 (shot suppression per 60 minutes). Throw in a career season from Alex Killorn (22 goals) or another solid 2-way player in Ondrej Palat, and the Lightning’s top 6 should be the league’s most solid in terms of production and goal suppression.

Coleman’s penalty killing cannot go unnoticed either. With 3 short-handed goals, Coleman is only behind Ottawa’s Chris Tierney and Philadelphia’s Kevin Hayes (4) for shorthanded tallies. To put that into perspective, the entire Lightning team has as many shorthanded goals as Coleman. Goals aren’t the only thing that Coleman can provide in shorthanded situations, as his presence on the kill dragged an awful Devils team to a middle-of-the-pack penalty kill (80.8%). Combined with all of his skills that have been previously mentioned, Coleman comes at an extremely cheap price tag. Coleman is set to make $1.8 M both this year and next year, showing that depth scoring can be found for incredibly cheap if you look hard enough. Overall, Coleman looks to be exactly what the Lightning need.

Grade: B

What the Devils Got

I’ll start with the 1^st round pick. The Lightning decided to use one of the two 1^st rounders they had in order to acquire Coleman. The pick they sent, which was Vancouver’s, is lottery protected, moving to 2021 if the Canucks miss the playoffs. For the Devils, it becomes their third 1^st round pick, along with their own and Arizona’s, which was acquired in the Taylor Hall trade.  

Now we get to the prospect. Nolan Foote was Tampa’s 1^st round pick from 2019, and he was looking like he was going to be TB’s top prospect soon. In his 4^th year in the WHL, Foote was on his way to registering his first point-per-game season, as he’s got 33 points in 26 games. However, Foote has missed almost half the season so far with a lower-body injury. His shot is lethal, and his skating leaves much to be desired. Some in the scouting community have called him a “mini Blake Coleman,” but he’s got a better shot than Coleman. Devils fans should be happy with this return, specifically the skill that Foote possesses.

Grade: A-

What’s Next for the Bolts

The Lightning may still look to go after a right-handed defenseman such as Josh Manson, but that seems unlikely due to the heavy price tag that the Ducks are asking for. As for Coleman, he should slot into the second line quite easily, while trying to prove that to he’s the final piece in the Lightning’s attempt at a championship. Many changes await the Lightning in the off-season, but for now, all eyes are on Lord Stanley and the Bolts’ quest for a cup.

Want to start your sports media career? Then Join The Puck Network!

Bay Bolts is part of The Puck Network, which covers the entire NHL. There are openings to cover your favorite team(s) and earn school credits! If you are interested, then apply by filling out the form here: Join Our Team. What are you waiting for? Start your sports media career TODAY!

February 17th, 2020