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NHL Trade Rumors: Boston Bruins targeting Charlie Coyle

By Dave Stevenson

ST. PAUL, MN - NOVEMBER 23: Charlie Coyle #3 of the Minnesota Wild takes a shot on goal during a game with the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center on November 23, 2018 in St. Paul, Minnesota.(Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images)
ST. PAUL, MN - NOVEMBER 23: Charlie Coyle #3 of the Minnesota Wild takes a shot on goal during a game with the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center on November 23, 2018 in St. Paul, Minnesota.(Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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After losing Patrice Bergeron, the Boston Bruins have been looking for another center. The latest NHL trade rumors link them to Minnesota Wild center Charlie Coyle.

The Boston Bruins have been an active team in the trade market as they seek to upgrade their team. Even before Patrice Bergeron‘s injury, which will keep him out for at least a month, they were looking to upgrade at center. The injury to the four-time Selke Trophy winner has forced them to increase their efforts. It should come as no surprise the latest NHL trade rumors have them kicking the tires on Charlie Coyle of the Minnesota Wild.

Joe McDonald of The Athletic is reporting the Bruins have been interested in Coyle for quite some time.

"Prior to the season, the Bruins were interested in the services of Minnesota Wild forward Charlie Coyle. With Bergeron out, the Bruins are again considering Coyle in case they can’t fill the void internally."

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Even if Boston had their top center healthy, Coyle would still make quite a bit of sense for them. Though David Krejci has done a solid job this season (17 points in 22 games entering Saturday, Nov. 24), the Bruins are struggling to get much out of their third and fourth lines.

Moreover, the second line wings have been struggling too, though Jake DeBrusk’s recent improvement is certainly encouraging. Bergeron’s absence has exploited Boston’s biggest weakness – their lack of forward depth.

Coyle is someone who could help them solve that issue. He is a versatile forward who has experience both as a center and as a wing. He could be a bit of a Swiss Army Knife for the Bruins, as he would be able to fill a variety of roles around the lineup. Coyle would be a bit more than a rental, as he has a year left on his contract after this one. His cap hit is quite reasonable at $3.2 million.

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It will be interesting to see what the Bruins are going to be willing to give up to address their lack of forward depth. Their greatest strength is probably their defensive depth. With five defensemen on the injured reserve list, they’ve gotten a chance to look at younger players such as Matt Grzelcyk, Connor Clifton, and Jeremy Lauzon. Along with guys like Brandon Carlo and Urho Vaakanainen, those are guys who other teams could target. One would think the Wild would be interested in one of them.

For updated NHL trade rumors, check out our Rumors page.

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