Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy explains why Charlie Coyle trade will benefit Boston

Share

The Boston Bruins have made their first (and perhaps only) move ahead of Monday's NHL trade deadline by acquiring Minnesota Wild forward Charlie Coyle in exchange for forward Ryan Donato and a conditional fifth-round draft pick.

The trade was completed Wednesday, and later that night after the B's beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 in a shootout, Boston head coach Bruce Cassidy met with reporters and explained why he believes the Coyle addition will improve the team

"He can go in behind (Patrice Bergeron) or (David Krejci) at center," Cassidy said. "Listen, I don't know the player as well as some in the organization. We're going to look to that. We do feel there's a need there at third-line center. (Trent Frederic) has been doing well, but he's young. I've been told, I think, that's (Coyle's) best position. Can he go up and play right wing, especially with (David Pastrnak) out? Yeah. He can play with (Krejci), or (Bergeron) and (Marchand) somewhere up in the lineup. We're fortunate. It's a good acquisition because of that. He can fill either hole. Maybe both in the same game — he can move back and forth depending on the need. I think it's good for us — good size, good talent, young. So that's how I see him fitting in."

Coyle certainly adds a valuable element of versatility with his ability to play at center or on the wing. He also adds a strong two-way game and good size at 6-foot-3, 218 pounds. 

Transitioning to a new team can be difficult for some players. For Coyle, he has a few things working in his favor. First, he's from Weymouth, Mass., so he knows the Boston area quite well. Second, he's going into a locker room with excellent veteran leadership highlighted by captain Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron and David Backes.

"It's a good environment for him to come in to. It's positive," Cassidy said. "When a new player comes in and it's a negative environment, it can be tough on the player.

"I think our players will welcome him. Certainly a few of them are familiar with him because he's local. I think our guys were looking for a little boost, and I think it shows two things: management is looking out for the group, and the group's played well enough that management can go out and make a move like this and give up a good young player down the road for immediate help. ..." 

The Bruins still have enough quality trade assets to make another deal before the deadline. They have been linked to a number of players in recent trade rumors, including Ottawa Senators right winger Mark Stone and New York Rangers center Kevin Hayes. Boston has won seven consecutive games, but it still doesn't have enough firepower to take down the first-place Tampa Bay Lightning. Another trade would go a long way in improving the Bruins' chances of being able to beat the Lightning come playoff time.

Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Celtics easily on your device.

Contact Us