On Monday, we took a look at the prediction from Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman that the Bruins would sign defenseman Derek Forbort.
Now, hours before the start of free agency at noon on Wednesday, Friedman is back with an even spicier free agent prediction for the Bruins: Blake Coleman.
In his latest predictions post, Friedman has the Bruins signing Coleman to a six-year deal with an average annual value of $5 million. He also still has the Bruins signing Forbort, for what it's worth.
Friedman is one of the premier NHL insiders, so he's not just throwing uninformed crap against the wall. Obviously this doesn't mean it's definitely going to happen, but if Friedman is predicting it, it's because he believes there is something there based on what he's hearing.
Obviously, that's a pretty big contract for Coleman. He is 29 years old, turning 30 in November. Generally giving that kind of term to someone who is ideally playing on your third line is not a great idea.
That said, Coleman is really good. When the Lightning acquired him from the Devils at the 2020 trade deadline, he completely transformed their third line and ultimately helped them win two straight Stanley Cups.
Coleman had 14 goals and 17 assists in 55 games this past season, and then three goals and eight assists in 23 playoff games. He topped 20 goals in each of the previous two seasons.
He is really an all-around player. His offensive output makes him a high-end third-liner who wouldn't look lost on a second line if he has to move up in a pinch, but he's also a very good defensive player. He has some speed, physicality and grit in his game and is a tenacious forechecker. And he's been one of Tampa's top penalty-killers.
The hope for the Bruins is that Coleman would do the same thing for their third line that he did for the Lightning's. He would certainly be an upgrade over what they had last year, and he can play on either wing.
It is not hard to see the appeal in this player:
Friedman's predicted money ($5 million per year) is probably an overpay, but not an outrageous one. It's the six years that would be concerning. Coleman is almost certainly not going to be the same kind of difference-maker he is right now in his mid-30s.
But if Don Sweeney and the Bruins are really trying to go all-in on winning while the Patrice Bergeron-Brad Marchand window is still open, and they think Coleman is the answer to their offensive depth issues right now (and he very well may be), then the overpay would be at least understandable.
Related
