LA Kings: Three UFA wingers to pursue on bridge deals
By Ryan Sikes
2. Blake Coleman
While the Tampa Bay Lightning look like legitimate threats to repeat, thanks to having a healthy Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov returning to their lineup for the postseason, it’s no secret that they’ll have some serious financial restrictions this offseason.
As it stands, Tampa is projected to exceed the $81.5M flat salary cap next season by just over $5M, and that’s without re-signing any of their free agents. They wiggled their way out of the salary cap last season, but I don’t see how they do it again this offseason, meaning they’ll have to part with at least a couple of players, perhaps more.
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Blake Coleman will turn 30 years old in November, but he’s a versatile winger who can play on both sides. Added, the man can score. The former third-round put up 14 goals and 31 points, and a +15 in 55 regular-season games in 2021.
He’s projected to get a four-year deal at a $4.7M AAV. While his age is likely outside Rob Blake’s target zone, he’d be a perfect stopgap until a prospect is ready for a full-time role. That said, Coleman is another player who likes to shoot the puck, registering an 11.5% shot rate this past year.