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NHL Free Agency 2018: New Jersey Devils sign Blake Coleman

By Thomas G

NEWARK, NJ - APRIL 16: Blake Coleman #20 of the New Jersey Devils celebrates his empty net goal at 19:02 of the third period against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game Three of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Prudential Center on April 16, 2018 in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils defeated the Lightning 5-2. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEWARK, NJ - APRIL 16: Blake Coleman #20 of the New Jersey Devils celebrates his empty net goal at 19:02 of the third period against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game Three of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Prudential Center on April 16, 2018 in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils defeated the Lightning 5-2. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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On Tuesday, the New Jersey Devils re-signed restricted free agent center Blake Coleman to a 3 year deal worth $5.4 million in NHL free agency

Before Tuesday, July 17, the New Jersey Devils were having a suspiciously quiet offseason, particularly in NHL free agency. In their first signing of the day, they re-signed Stefan Noesen. Later, the Devils signed restricted free agent forward Blake Coleman to a three-year deal, with a cap hit of $1.8 million. This contract is worth a total of $5.4 M.

Coleman recorded 13 goals and 12 assists for a total of 25 points this season. He has been with the New Jersey Devils since they drafted him 75th overall at the 2011 draft. Coleman spent four seasons playing at Miami University (Ohio), before being called up to the Devils’ AHL affiliate, the Albany Devils. He is from Plano, Texas. He stands at 5’11”, and weighs 200 pounds.

Coleman made his NHL debut in the 2016-17 season. He only ended up appearing in 23 games, recording just two points. This was beginning to be a problem, too. Coleman picked up 27 penalty minutes in these games, putting him in a bit of a weird situation. Coleman is not an enforcer, yet he was acting like one.

Now, this year was not a breakout season per se, but it was definitely an improvement over last season. Coleman now has a combined total of 14 goals and 13 assists in 102 career NHL games, for a total of 27 points.

Additional analysis of the Coleman signing

Coleman’s advanced stats are fairly mediocre. He finished with a Corsi for percentage of 49.36 percent at five-on-five. This sounds below average, which is why it is so important to look at relative Corsi as well.

Coleman had a relative Corsi for percentage of 1.34 percent, meaning his team’s possession numbers were slightly better when he was on the ice. This is a bit encouraging, especially since he was used more in a defensive role.

The Devils need Coleman to remain consistent in his defensive role while increasing his offense. They now know that he can handle a heavy defensive role. Now it’s Coleman’s job to prove he can improve his production.

Conclusion

This is another minor signing. Coleman is a decent depth piece to have and that’s pretty much it. Noesen is probably a better player and is being paid $75,000 less.

Next: Devils Offseason Outlook

That said, if Coleman can turn into a 30 point player while maintaining his defensive play, that’s a huge gain for the Devils.

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