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Blake Coleman chooses Flames on long-term commitment
Blake Coleman has cashed in with the Calgary Flames.
The unrestricted free agent and X-factor for the Tampa Bay Lightning's back-to-back Stanley Cup championship teams has signed a six-year contract worth $29.4 million. The $4.9 million average annual value represents more than a $3 million raise on his previous contract.
Blake Coleman, six years and $4.9M AAV to Calgary. Nice raise over the $1.8M he was making
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) July 28, 2021
Coleman has top-line potential as a facilitative presence for top-end players, but he more appropriately identifies as an impact middle-six and all-situations player. He's hit 20 goals twice in his career as a reliable secondary scorer, and he's coming off his most productive season from a per-game standpoint, scoring 14 goals and 31 points in 55 games.
He seems to be at his best in the postseason, and while working in units designed to stifle the competition. The Tampa third line with Coleman, Yanni Gourde and Barclay Goodrow was dominant in both Stanley Cup runs, creating advantages versus top competition from the bottom end of the lineup. Gourde and Goodrow have both exited Tampa as well, landing with the Seattle Kraken and New York Rangers, respectively.
The Flames are coming off a highly disappointing season, which led to the decision to turn over coaching duties to Darryl Sutter. The club has been relatively inactive in the offseason to this point, but did lose captain Mark Giordano in the expansion draft.
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