Time off gave Coleman a chance to adapt to life in Tampa Bay

When Blake Coleman was traded to Tampa Bay from New Jersey a week before the trade deadline on February 16, the forward was touted as a player who could score lots of goals having put up 20 or more in each of the last two seasons in addition to being an effortless skater and elite penalty killer with an unlimited reservoir of energy.

The fact he was under contract for another season at the relatively inexpensive price tag of $1.8 million AAV was a bonus too, compelling Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois to give up a 2020 first round draft pick and highly-regarded prospect Nolan Foote to make the deal.

Coleman played in nine games with the Lightning before the pause and certainly showed glimpses of the player BriseBois paid a steep price to acquire. He combined with fellow newcomer Barclay Goodrow as a formidable duo on the penalty kill. He was physical, his 25 hits over that stretch ranking tied for second on the Lightning. He was able to get his shot off too, registering two shots per game and 18 total.

The problem, however, was none of those shots were finding the back of the net.

Offensively, Coleman was still finding his way with Tampa Bay. He contributed just one point, that coming on an assist in his fourth game in a 4-3 win February 29 versus Calgary. And he'd yet to score a goal, despite coming to the Lightning posting 21 this season with the Devils, a season after putting up a career high 22.

"Guys like Blake, eventually they're going to go in for him, and they're going to go in in bunches," Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said after his team's fifth training camp session Saturday at AMALIE Arena. "He competes hard. He never gives up on a play. His skating is exceptional. He is effortless out there, so really an advantage for him, especially on the forecheck to be able to get in on plays. He's fearless going to the net. He plays with an edge. All those things you need to be an effective team in the playoffs, and it's just only going to be a matter of time before he puts the puck in the net."

Although inconvenient, the pause might actually benefit the Lightning newcomers Goodrow and Zach Bogosian but particularly Coleman. The 28 year old had never been traded before, and that certainly took a period of adjustment to get used to a new team. His wife was due to give birth to their first child any day when the trade happened, further compounding his anxiety (he and his wife welcomed baby girl Charlie to the world about a week after the trade).

Now, with time to step back, familiarize himself with his new team and role, adjust to being a father and to living in a different city, Coleman can settle down and focus on being the player he was brought in to be.

"There was a lot going on during the trade with my family and just in general, but I was excited to be here," Coleman said. "It's one of those things where you get here and you're kind of thrown the kitchen sink as far as systems and trying to pick things up on the fly. I think that the break's kind of given me time to digest it all. Obviously our daughter is healthy and doing well, so I can kind of focus on the hockey side of things and having a camp here has been great because I can focus on the systems and really don't have to worry about it in game. You want that stuff to be second nature and not have to think about it."

The four-month break away from the rink also allowed Coleman more time to get to know his teammates and coaches on a more personal level.

"All of a sudden you kind of get four months off, but that doesn't mean you're four months away from your coaches and teammates," Cooper said. "Now you're in the group chats. You're communicating with everybody. You know everybody personally a lot better, and then when you come back, it's almost like it's your second year with the team."

Coleman said he had some good games and ones he'd like to have back during his initial nine-game stint with the Bolts but felt he was going in the right direction acclimating himself to his new team at the pause. He thought his best game with the Lightning was his last one March 10 in Toronto.

"I thought I could have had two or three goals in that Toronto game, and they just didn't go in," he said. "That's kind of how things were going."

That everyone's feeling their way through the coronavirus pandemic together has helped Coleman assimilate into the team too.

"I think this is something no one's gone through, and I think going through it together builds bonds," Lightning center Brayden Point said. "It's kind of a more relaxed time now. When you get guys during the season, it's go, go, go. Now we can sit back and work hard on the ice but it's fun. You can have fun and get to know the guys more personally that way. The group chat helped. It was tough for everyone to kind of be away. It's nice to get to know them at the rink now, but just going through this I think has brought everyone closer."