Charlie Coyle has the keys to Bruins’ 3rd line - what is he going to have to work with?

Charlie Coyle can recall hearing the same tired old phrase at the rink for close to two decades now: “SHOOT IT.”

While the 26-year-old forward has had a solid NHL career, averaging 40 points per season in his five full years with the Minnesota Wild, Coyle’s shooting habits have been a point of emphasis for him to work on, both in terms of volume and where he takes his attempts.

While his shooting percentages are in the midst of a four-year dip — sliding from a strong 15.0 percent in 2016 to its current rate of 8.8 percent this season — his lack of attempts might be the most concerning facet of his offensive game. With just a 6.63 shots-for rate over 60 minutes of play, Coyle currently ranks in a tie for 12th place among Bruins skaters this season, with players like Joakim Nordstrom (6.83), Danton Heinen (7.06) and even Trent Frederic (7.56) ahead of him.

“I’ve been told to shoot more since I was 10 years old,” Coyle said. “It’s really nothing new. I think that’s always been my mentality, but I think I’ve worked on my shot enough to use it more often and create scoring chances off rebounds, and things like that. I mean over the years, it’s my seventh season I think playing, you’re still learning. You’re still finding ways to be a better player, and I think shooting the puck more is definitely something I can see that needs to be fixed, to put the puck in the net a little more.”

Of course, Coyle can still more than carry a line if he’s generating offense by distributing the puck and opening up space with his 6-foot-3 frame, and Boston is going to count on him to do so — especially given Don Sweeney’s comments about Coyle’s responsibly to help “drive a third line”.

Based on rushes from Friday’s practice in St. Louis, it looks as though Coyle has the keys to the third line, as he logged his first skate with his new club back at his natural position of center in a bottom-six role.

The addition of Coyle automatically provides a boost to a line that has given Bruce Cassidy headaches all season long due to its inability to consistently generate offense. Trading for Coyle does make this team better, but who exactly will the pivot be playing with going forward?



For Friday’s practice, Coyle skated alongside David Backes to his right and a combination of Peter Cehlarik and Joakim Nordstrom on his left. Not exactly the Bonanza Line of Juneau-Oates-Kvartalnov.

While Nordstrom has filled in admirably all across the lineup this season, he still only has five goals and seven total points all season long, while Backes has been tabbed as a healthy scratch in three of Boston’s 12 games since the bye week and also only has five goals over 49 games played.

Cehlarik, perhaps the most offensively gifted of the bunch with six points over 13 games, has missed the past three games due to a lower-body injury, but will likely slot in for Nordstrom if he’s cleared to play. Still, Cehlarik has just three points (two goals, one assist) in the month of February, and has seen his spot on David Krejci’s line snagged by Karson Kuhlman.

“We're not automatically going to put Peter up there,” Cassidy said of Cehlarik’s spot on the Krejci line and Kuhlman’s play. “Peter did well there, but Kuhlman has added — they're two different players. I think he's earned the right to stay in the lineup.”

More help will likely be on the way as Boston returns more skaters from injury and/or Boston adds another piece or two up front before Monday’s trade deadline. Once David Pastrnak is back in the fold, a player like Danton Heinen or Kuhlman could earn some reps down with Coyle, while acquiring someone like Mark Stone or Ryan Dzingel could give Boston an embarrassment of riches when it deciding who gets pushed down into a bottom-six role.

But for now, it looks as though Coyle will likely begin his tenure in Boston with Cehlarik and Backes as his wingers. In a limited amount of time together, Backes and Cehlarik have fared pretty well when on the ice together during 5v5 play — with Boston holding a plus-5 shot differential and a plus-3 edge in scoring chances generated during just 3:36 TOI.

It’s been another trying season for Backes, but the veteran has usually been at his best when he’s skating with a center that boasts both speed and size. In just under 100 minutes of 5v5 TOI together, a line featuring Sean Kuraly centering both Backes and Chris Wagner has posted a plus-35 edge in attempts and plus-23 advantage in shots on goal.

Coyle isn’t a grinder like Kuraly, but Backes is looking to take advantage of playing with another pivot that pushes the pace and can open up some space down low.

“Saw him in practice today," Backes said. "He’s a great skater. He can move, push the pace, he can create time and space for the other guys out there with him. That’s a good quality to have. He’s pretty reserved, a little quiet, so maybe we can get him to use his outside voice out there and communicate, and that will only help us to gain some chemistry and make some plays and score some goals."