G - Coleman ?

sorry for asking this at this time ;) but the prospects board didnt answer my question. i was a big fan of his going into the draft and i was wondering what you guys thought of him. when will he make the nhl, will he be a no.1 or 2. thanks for any info

Well, he's one of the TB prospects I consider a favorite and I'm pretty high on him, but he's got a long way to go. He had a fantastic year behind a juggernault in London, but it would have been gravy if he was the 1 there and not 1-B.

According to the Lightning, he's still behind our 3rd rounder from last year, Jon Boutin (PEI), in terms of development, but both are looked upon favorably.

IMO, he's got an outside chance of being a #1, but at the least has NHL backup upside. In terms of comparisons, he looks a lot like Tampa's John Grahame, without the puck handling ability. TB's GT coach Jeff Reese got a hold of him in camp and began the molding process he used with Grahame to let a big goalie play angles and percentages and use his size. Coleman's rebound control needs to improve, and at least in camp, he was offering shooters a grand-canyon sized 5-hole. He did play very well in scrimmages in camp, though, and continued to improve throughout the year. TB likes his mental approach to the game, also.

All that said, yes, he is though highly of by many, but has yet to show that he's going to be a clear-cut #1. The fact he was a late rounder and showed so much this year is encouraging. Once his junior eligibility has run out he'll likely be in Springfield for a couple years at least. He may get a shot in 3-4 years.

thanks a lot man. good to here he is progressing.