And the break-out star is…
Looking at a roster and looking for someone who could potentially breakout is always difficult. There are a ton of things that need to be taken into account in order to truly find a breakout candidate. In the Boston Bruins case, it has to be Charlie Coyle.
Coyle, a Massachusetts native, hit the 50 point mark once. That was back in the 2016-17 NHL season, where he had 56 points in a full 82 game season. The most ice time he averaged per game in a season was back in the 2015-16 season, where he played 17:18 per game.
Now, with the Bruins having such a thin right-wing group paired with Coyle’s ability to play all three forward positions, it’s safe to say that he could have a huge role on the team. Likely starting the season on the second line, he could pair really well with David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk.
As touched on earlier, Pastrnak could move up and down in the top-six, meaning Coyle will likely get time with Bergeron and Marchand on the top line. Not to mention Pastrnak has only played one full 82 game season (2017-18) in his 5-year career.
That could mean that Coyle could play on the top line for extended periods of time if Pastrnak does get injured again. It’s no secret that Coyle could turn into an absolute monster for the Bruins next year.
Another breakout candidate is Matt Grzelcyk. With Brendan Carlo and Charlie McAvoy both without contracts and one of them potentially not returning to the team, Grzelcyk could see top 4 minutes. While he did play over 19 minutes last year, he could see even more time if one or both free agent defenders don’t return and could play a very vital role on the team.