My next player profile is on forward Charlie Coyle! Coyle appeared in 21 games for the Bruins last season, in which he produced two goals and four assists. He was traded to the team at the deadline from the Minnesota Wild, for whom he had played in 60 games and recorded ten goals and 18 assists. He then appeared in 24 playoff games for the Bruins, through which he tallied nine goals and seven assists. Drafted 28th overall of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft by the San Jose Sharks, Coyle has played in 500 career NHL games, over which he has produced 93 goals and 155 assists. The 27-year-old center and right wing has only played for the Bruins and Wild organizations over his seven season NHL and professional career.
While Coyle got off to a bit of a slow start in Boston, he went on to be an integral part of the Bruins’ run Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. He developed outstanding chemistry with now-former Bruins Marcus Johannson, and the two of them were two of the Bruins’ best and most consistent players throughout the playoffs. Coyle is a big body, listed at 6’3” and 220 pounds, and he can play either a skill or finesse game. He’s a strong skater, often beating defenders with his acceleration in addition to his strong puck skills. He is able to use his body very well to protect pucks, and is a good possession player because of it. He’s a good passer and playmaker, which he is primarily known as, but he also possesses a heavy shot and can score. However, it would be nice if he shot the puck more as he would likely score much more often. But, he’s an all-around solid player who is extremely reliable in both zones, and he can bring strength and physicality to a fairly young and small forward group.
As for what we can expect from Coyle next season, I think we’ll see closer to the guy we did in the playoffs than in the regular season, albeit probably not at the same point pace. That’s not a knock on him though, it’s just he’s never played at that pace in his career and it would be unreasonable to expect it out of him over a full 82-game season. He’ll likely be the third-line center, although there is talk that he could play on Krejci’s wing if no one else can seize the opportunity. If he’s on the third line, he will help bring energy and production to a line that sorely needed it for a lot of the regular season next year. It will be nice to have a consistent, proven player there next season, as it was clear he made a difference even when he wasn’t playing great after the trade. He’s gotten more comfortable with the team’s systems now and adjusted to the pressures of playing in his hometown nicely, so I think we’ll see at least close to the same player that we did on the team’s Cup run this season. At least, I certainly hope we do because having consistent depth scoring will only help the team. But, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how it all unfolds in training camp and during the regular season.
Hockey Addict 