Blake Coleman

Last Season

Twenty goals and 35 points in 69 games, plus-12, seventeen minutes a night, no power-play goals. Scoring twenty without a man-advantage role is a harder thing than the number looks.

The Finesse Game

Not a skilled player in the usual sense and never claimed to be. The goals come from the net front, from shorthanded breakaways, and from arriving at a rebound before the defenceman does. He shoots often and from close range, which is the honest way to score twenty with these hands.

The speed is his real offensive weapon. He is a genuine threat on the penalty kill because he forces defencemen into decisions, and he has scored important shorthanded goals in playoff games for two different clubs.

The Physical Game

Five-eleven and 199, and he plays a full-contact game every shift. He forechecks hard, blocks shots, and finishes checks on players considerably larger. Nothing about his style has softened with age, which is both the appeal and the risk.

The Intangibles

He is exactly the player teams want in a playoff series: heavy, fast, defensively trustworthy, and completely indifferent to being popular. He has won with two organisations and been the same player in both.

At thirty-four, with a game built on legs and willingness, the decline when it comes will be quick rather than gradual. There is no sign of it yet.