Following the signing of Barclay Goodrow in New York to six years at $3.6M a season, everyone knew that Blake Coleman would get more. He is the guy that can score and bringing what Goodrow can, only amplified and with a scoring touch, was going to bring more in free agency. How much more was the exact question, and we got an exact answer from the Calgary Flames:

Anyone that reads my writing knows I like Blake Coleman a lot. I've long thought he was one of the more underrated wingers in the league and he really balled out the last couple seasons. The fact remains this: Coleman is a physical forward who turns 30 years old in November and has 71 career goals. It is a big bet by Calgary that he'll continue the play from his late-20s through his mid-30s. We'll see.

This is a concern for cap-league owners. Anyone that plays fantasy knows that Coleman has elite shot and hit rates, but he usually wasn't getting enough ice time to really rack those rates up since he left New Jersey.

The question for Coleman is where he slots on Calgary. The lineup, as constructed right now, could look something like this:

Gaudreau-Monahan-Tkachuk

Mangiapane-Lindholm-Dubé

Regardless of what happens on the right side, the left side already has Gaudreau and Mangiapane. I think we see some sort of setup where Gaudreau gets 19-20 minutes a night, both Mangiapane and Coleman in the 16-minute range, and Milan Lucic down around 11-12. Should Coleman come in with 15-16 minutes of TOI, he is a threat for both 200 hits and 200 shots. He probably comes in under on the hits – closer to about 150 – but the potential is there.

The problem is the depth he'll be playing with. Mikael Backlund is not the player he was 3-4 years ago, and guys like Lucic, Ritchie, and Pitlick are not great playmakers. Coleman will have to do a lot of the heavy lifting himself in the goals department. It isn't anything really new for him considering where he started his career, but it does cap his upside.

Beyond that, there is just his age. Physical forwards don't tend to age very well and he will be 30 next season. Is he the same guy last year as he is this year? What about in 2023? 2025?

Coleman will still be a very good fantasy asset in Calgary but I don't see 30-goal upside, not right away. If he can get back to 20 goals, 160 hits, and 200 shots, that'll be a huge fantasy season for him. We will have to wait and see what Calgary does with the rest of the offseason.

Who this helps

Mikael Backlund

Jacob Markstrom

Alex Barré-Boulet

Who this hurts

Milan Lucic

Andrew Mangiapane

Tampa goaltending