The most likely choice: Charlie Coyle
Whilst Charlie Coyle did impress as the third-line center this post-season just gone, he has shown on his previous team, the Minnesota Wild, that he is more than capable of sitting higher in the line-up.
Now obviously it does weaken the Boston Bruins a little bit down the center by promoting their third-line option, but they can fix that, possibly using new signing Par Lindholm or maybe giving Sean Kuraly just rewards for a strong year.
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Coyle offers both size and a bit of energy that would be a near-perfect match alongside DeBrusk and Krejci. His best NHL season saw him bag 18 goals and provide 38 asissts for a total of 56 points; if he could get anywhere near that sort of level suddenly Boston has two lines givign ample production to compete.
Given how stacked the Atlantic Division is looking to be this season, it’s going to be vital to step it up production-wise and Coyle, out of all the internal options and ignoring any of the young guns stepping up to the plate, fits the role the best.
We did see him struggle when he first arrived with the team, before finding chemistry with Marcus Johansson. However, having now no doubt bonded (in defeat unfortunately) with the locker-room, perhaps finding chemistry with new line-mates shouldn’t prove as big of an ask.
Give him the chance to succeed on the second line and I think he will. If not, keep him on the third line and hedge your bets that someone steps up to the mark.
Last year, nobody truly did and it affected Krejci and DeBrusk – the Boston Bruins need a right-winger to ensure the absolute best results out of their second liners. They can find it internally; it’s just a case of who?