Before we get going, let's make one thing clear from the start. I liked the Flames acquisition of Blake Coleman from the second it happened. He was an integral piece of two Stanley Cup-winning teams in Tampa Bay and fits the mold as a Darryl Sutter-type player.

Although I was excited about him joining Calgary, my thoughts certainly came with some reservations, particularly regarding where he will slot in the line-up. As you may recall, I was not sold on the idea of Coleman being the correct fit for a top-six forward role. For quite some time, I stuck to the idea that the Flames needed to find a way to get him to the third-line by acquiring a more second-line winger commodity.

Well, I decided to do a little more research on the matter to grasp better the player Blake Coleman actually is. With the help of InStat, I was able to go back a watch all of Coleman's points from the last two seasons. Let's say I've changed my mind.

First and foremost, a top-six forwards needs to be able to contribute offensively with consistency. Yes, those dirty goals in front of the net are crucial, but I want to see how often a player can score off his own stick through sheer skill. Coleman can certainly do so. He possesses the ability to skate through the offensive zone, shake off defenders, and fire both a powerful and accurate shot on the net. There's an ability to create offensive on his own that I think I blindly ignored due to the amount of talent the Lightning possessed. Yes, Coleman played with some great linemates. However, he was a major reason why his line produced the way it did.

Though last year painted a slightly different picture, Blake Coleman seems to be the type of player that prefers to finish a play instead of setting up a teammate. That being said, he comes with the capability to do both, possibly providing enough playmaking ability to get potential linemate Andrew Mangiapane, over the 20-goal mark.

Typically, I find that players in similar situations to Coleman tend to get a bump due to the high level of skill surrounding them. Those players receive a nice pay raise hoping for more production in larger roles, but it rarely works out.

That is the frame of mind I found myself stuck in with Coleman. However, I think he might actually succeed with more ice-time, allowing more opportunities for his skill set to flourish. Now do I think he's going to cash in for 30 goals? No, I wouldn't say that. But I do think he will show that he does belong in any team's top-six forward group.

If Sean Monahan can buck the downward trend, the Flames have the chance to ice a really productive second-line. You are looking at three players that can create offense, with Coleman providing that necessary snarl that every Sutter team desires.

Yes, I was always excited to see what Coleman provides the Flames moving forward. Now, with a change to my own mentality, I'm even more intrigued to see what he brings in an increased role.

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