Bruins Notebook: B's need a major rebound for Coyle; Bergeron draws praise in latest NHLPA poll

When it comes to supplementing talent around the Bruins’ veteran core in hopes of another Cup run, Don Sweeney is going to have his hands full.

Be it a slumping bottom-six unit that failed to gain traction for extended stretches of the 2021 season, a D corps that was decimated by injuries, or an uncertain situation in net, the Bruins have plenty of fires to put out on their roster before camp opens in late September, with Boston expected to be active in both the trade market and free agency in order to address said flaws. 

But along with seeking help from outside of the organization, the Bruins are also going to need more players already on their roster to pull their weight if this club hopes for a much more promising Cup run in 2022.

And while Jake DeBrusk has largely been the conduit of criticism when it comes to key cogs that failed to produce in line with expectations, he’s far from the only regular on that third line that’s in need of a much stronger campaign this fall. 

As Charlie Coyle goes, so goes the rest of Boston’s third line has been the usual mantra over the past two seasons when it comes to state of this B’s forward corps — and never was it so evident as this past season, in which a major dip in Coyle’s production led to a forward trio that spent most of the last year treading water. 

Coyle’s first season into a six-year, $31.5 million contract left a whole lot to be desired, with the 29-year-old center scoring just six goals and 16 total points over 51 total games. 

Granted, all of Coyle’s value isn’t just tied to his tangible production, but rather his versatility and ability to extend O-zone possessions thanks to his ability to hold onto the puck and fight off opposing players.

 But be it the underlying metrics or just the basic eye test, Coyle regularly labored in what stood as his second full year in a black-and-gold sweater, ranking in the 24th percentile of NHL forwards in terms of even-strength defense, despite getting largely sheltered minutes on the third line (25th percentile in terms of quality of competition). 

The 2021 postseason was perhaps even more concerning — as he was on the ice for 12 5v5 goals against in 11 playoff games. Taylor Hall is the next closest Bruin with six goals against, and only Anthony Beauvillier (13) has more goals against among all forwards this postseason — and he’s logged close to 75 more minutes of ice time than Coyle.

All that makes for an awfully concerning body of work, to say the least — not only because Boston still has five years to go in this deal (with Coyle's no-movement clause making him exempt from the Seattle expansion draft), but because this roster flat out needs Coyle to return to the level he maintained in 2019-20 and during the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“I obviously want to produce more and be a better player. Stuff happens and sometimes you lose consistency a bit,” Coyle said last week via Zoom. “I just want to be a more reliable player and if I'm not putting up points, I'm still bringing my game and other elements to my team. That's what I've got to do.”

It remains to be seen just how Boston will augment the rest of the bottom-six grouping, with Coyle perhaps aided by Boston adding another impact winger in free agency to help spur offense — but if Boston really wants to get that third line humming once more, it’s going to need Coyle to drive that line. 

If Boston is looking for at least some tangible cause for Coyle’s sudden steep drop in production, it sure seems as though the Weymouth native’s struggles could at least be traced back to a lingering injury — as Don Sweeney noted that the veteran center will have to go under the knife this summer. 

“They want to win and ultimately, they want to be surrounded by good players, good teammates, and that’s what we’re going to try and continue to do,” Don Sweeney said of Boston’s veterans. “We’ll go through the draft, go through acquisition. Sometimes we’ve traded away younger players that we felt would be parts of it. But we’ve added to the group. Charlie Coyle is an example of that. 

“He came in and has done a good job. He’s got to have an offseason maintenance procedure to get back to full health and can help drive that third line spot.”

Getting Coyle back to full strength is going to paramount for Boston in 2022, because even if Boston benefits from a stronger supporting cast on the third line (be it a major rebound from DeBrusk or perhaps a key free-agent add like a Blake Coleman), that line is still going to be stuck in neutral if Coyle doesn’t play up to the level that Boston knows he’s capable of. 

B’s add depth to roster with signing of Frödén, re-up Blidh

It won’t steal many headlines, but Boston made a minor move to add to its forward depth earlier this week by signing Swedish forward Jesper Frödén to a one-year contract with an NHL cap hit of $842,500. 

Frödén, 26, skated in 52 games with Skellefteå AIK of the SHL last season, scoring a team-high 22 goals and recording 40 points. The 5-foot-9 forward does have a few connections with Bruins skaters — as he played with David Pastrnak way back in 2013-14 when both forwards skated for Sodertalje SK over in Sweden. 

“The Bruins are very pleased to be adding Jesper to our organization,” Sweeney said in a release. “We have tracked Jesper’s growth in the SHL where he has proven to be highly productive, competitive, and a smart, two-way player. Jesper is very excited to join a competitive team with the opportunity to compete for a roster spot.”

Of course, even though Frödén put together some impressive totals overseas, it’s important to be realistic when it comes to his potential place in Boston’s lineup — considering that Peter Cehlarik scored the same number of points in the SHL last year, and Bruins legend Carter Camper actually finished fifth in league scoring. 

So it remains to be seen what exactly Boston has here with Frödén, as he could serve as a depth forward in the same vein as a Par Lindholm.

Frödén could be fighting for limited minutes with another Swedish winger in Anton Blidh — as the Bruins announced Friday evening that they re-signed the physical forward to a one-year, two-way contract with an NHL cap hit of $750,000. Blidh appeared in 10 games with Boston last season, scoring one goal. Providence might be Blidh's primary spot next season, but the 26-year-old winger can hold his own when called up and asked to serve in a straight-line role on a checking unit. 

Bergeron honored in latest NHLPA Player Poll

Stop if you’ve heard this before — but Patrice Bergeron is a pretty well-liked guy around the league. 

Such sentiment was validated once again on Thursday, as Bergeron was regularly represented in the NHLPA’s latest annual players poll — tying with center Sidney Crosby atop the voting leaderboard for the league’s “Most Complete Player”. 

Bergeron’s inclusion is far from a surprise, given that the B’s captain not only tallied 20+ goals for the 10th time in the last 11 seasons — but he also earned yet another Selke Trophy finalist nod for his two-way play in 2021. 

Bergeron’s inclusion next to Crosby was far from the only category in which a Bruin was represented: 

 Who is the best goal scorer?

1. Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs (46.27%)

2. Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals (33.82%)

3. David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins (6.02%)

4. Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers (4.56%)

Who is the best goalie?

1. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning (54.12%)

2. Marc-Andre Fleury, Vegas Golden Knights (8.88%)

3. Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens (8.25%) 

4. Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets (5.07%) 

5. Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins (4.02%)

If you need to win one game, who is the one player (any position) you would want on your team?

1. Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers (36.74%)

2. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins (23.04%)

3. Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche (5.87%) 

4. Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins (4.57%) 

4. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning (4.57%)

Who has the best shot?

1. Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals (48.95%) 

2. Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs (28.78%)

3. Shea Weber, Montreal Canadiens (5.04%) 

4. Patrik Laine, Columbus Blue Jackets (2.94%)

5. David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins (1.89%)

5. Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche (1.89%)

Which player has the most unique tape job?

1. David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins (42.32%)  

2. Tim Stutzle, Ottawa Senators (19.15%)  

3. Nikita Gusev, Florida Panthers (7.57%)   

4. Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers (6.46%)   

5. Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars (3.79%)

Which player is the most fashionable?

1. Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs (21.16%)

2. David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins (11.8%) 

3. P.K. Subban, New Jersey Devils (6.55%)

4. Henrik Lundqvist, Washington Capitals (5.04%) 

5. Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins (4.53%)

Stats and graphs via Natural Stat Trick, HockeyViz and JFreshHockey.