Blake Coleman had another strong season with the Calgary Flames

Coleman put up 39 points in 82 games in the 2024-25 season, the second most points he’s produced since coming to Calgary. Would you have liked to see him score a few more goals? Of course. His 15 goals is the lowest output over the last four seasons.

His lack of scoring wasn’t because he didn’t shoot the puck. Coleman was second on the Flames in shots on goal with 194. Coleman’s 7.7% shooting percentage and 0.985 PDO are indications that the shooting luck just wasn’t there for Coleman this past season. Natural Stat Trick had Coleman scoring 26.12 expected goals, which was second on the Flames. When it comes to high danger shot attempts, Coleman ranked first on the team with 111. Ten more than the next closest Flame, Nazem Kadri. But it was one of those seasons where the puck wasn’t going in for Coleman.

The underlying numbers were very strong for Coleman which should come as no surprise. He and Mikael Backlund are one of the best shot metric duos in the NHL.

(Per Natural Stat Trick)

Among Flames forwards to play at least 300 minutes at 5-on-5, Coleman ranked first or second in multiple key shot metrics. When Coleman is on the ice at 5-on-5, the Flames consistently outshoot their opposition. That becomes even more impressive when you consider the fact that Coleman is tasked with playing against opposing teams top players and starting 60% of his shifts outside the offensive zone.

You take a look at the overall production from Coleman and it doesn’t look like anything to write home about. But when you take a look under the hood, you see how much good #20 does for the Calgary Flames.

The eye test

Thing you have to appreciate about Coleman’s game is that you know what you’re going to get from him on a nightly basis. He is going to give an incredible effort every night. He is going to make a lot of smart plays. And he is going to be one of the more difficult players to play against because of his never say die attitude.

That work ethic makes Coleman a very effective player at 5-on-5 and on the penalty kill. Coleman rarely is out of position, he consistently makes smart plays with the puck, he blocks shots and has a shoot first mentality in the offensive zone.

Coleman is not a flashy player. There aren’t many games when you watch Coleman and he stands out as one of the best players on the ice. He’s not making flashy plays, dangles, and showing off an elite level offensive skillset. But what he lacks in skill, he makes up for with his high hockey IQ and work ethic.

2024-25 Letter Grade: B

What’s next?

Coleman is entering the final two years of his six year contract he signed with the Flames. He will turn 34 years old on November 28th.

Because of Coleman’s age and where the Flames are in their winning cycle, you have to at least consider what a trade could look like.

Craig Conroy talked about how important asset management is in today’s NHL. Trading a 34 or 35 year old Coleman between now and the 2027 trade deadline is something that has to be seriously contemplated.

It sucks to have that conversation because of how important Coleman has become on and off the ice to the Calgary Flames organization. But sometimes you need to make difficult decisions in order to get your team to where you want it to go in the future. Cashing in on Coleman would be part of that strategy.

If it were up to me, I would see how the 2025-26 season goes for the Flames. If they are in the mix, I would hold on to him and move him before the 2027 trade deadline. If they are out of playoff contention come the 2026 trade deadline, I’d seriously look at moving him then.

Highlights