If you were in search of the latest in a long line of examples of just how fruitless it can be to gauge consistency over the span of multiple NHL seasons, look no further than the current state of the Bruins’ third line – namely, the play of both Charlie Coyle and Taylor Hall.
Pushed into a top-six role last season following David Krejci’s return to Czechia, Coyle had all of the makings of the puck-possession, playmaking pivot who could thrive next to the fleet-footed, dynamic Hall. But that projected fit didn’t translate into on-ice success.
Over the 282:24 of 5v5 ice time that Hall and Coyle logged together during the 2021-22 season, Boston’s top-six unit routinely found itself on the ropes — with the B’s outscored, 16-13, over that extended sample size.
That lack of impact — especially for a line that had close to 60 percent of their starts in the offensive zone — eventually prompted Bruce Cassidy to slot in Erik Haula at 2C, pushing Coyle further down the depth chart once again.
Coyle hasn’t moved from that bottom-six role in 2022-23, but the results have been night and day ever since Hall joined him on the third line last week.
Perhaps it’s just a case of two veterans in Hall and Coyle finally getting on the same page and finding the right formula needed to play to their strengths in the offensive zone. Maybe it’s the perks of two talented forwards feasting against lesser matchups further down on the depth chart.
Both scenarios are likely true. But if you ask Coyle, it’s hard to overlook what a player like Trent Frederic has provided as a scrappy complement at right wing.
“He can play any type of game,” Coyle said of Frederic. “I think the world of him as a player. I think he can play a big man's game, he can play the skill game, he can do anything, really. And when you find the score sheet and you help contribute, it helps mentally and he's doing a lot of that.”
It’s tough to argue with the results when those three have been on the ice together. So far this season, the Hall-Coyle-Frederic line has logged just 40:31 of 5v5 ice time together. But during that stretch, the Bruins have landed haymaker after haymaker against the competition — outscoring teams, 6-1, while holding a 26-11 edge in shots on goal.
Yes, Hall’s wheels in transition and Coyle’s ability to shield the puck have played the largest role in this line’s ability to impact the game on a number of their shifts.
But make no mistake. Whether it be his contributions when it comes to winning loose pucks along the boards, finishing opportunities in Grade-A ice or even adding an extra wrinkle in the offensive zone thanks to a suddenly lethal one-timer, Frederic is doing his part to transform this unit into the matchup nightmare that’s been for the last couple of games.
"I think you got a guy who can transport the puck in Taylor Hall,” Jim Montgomery said of the three components on the third line. “All three guys can possess it in the offensive zone, but really Charlie Coyle leads that area and Trent's offensive confidence is just blossoming.”
Wednesday’s 4-0 victory over the Avalanche — a team already on the ropes in the depth department — stood as the latest standout showing from the Coyle line, with all three skaters combining for three goals and seven total points in the road victory.
Coyle might have jumpstarted both of his line’s tallies thanks to some heads-up defensive play (on Hall’s first goal) and his trademark game of keep-away in the O-zone (on Frederic’s goal), but Frederic’s one-time snipe at the end of that extended foray in Colorado’s end of the ice was the clearest sign yet that the 24-year-old winger is making some headway with developing his offensive skillset.
Trent Frederic's one-timer makes it 3-0 Boston. What a play by Charlie Coyle pic.twitter.com/AxtpXpdxMx
— Spoked Z (@SpokedZ) December 8, 2022
"I think, slowly but surely from the first game of the season ... he's gotten better and better and I think his confidence has grown,” Montgomery said of Frederic’s overall game. “I think what we're seeing now is him getting close to his ceiling. And being on the off side too has been a real benefit for him. He can make better plays to the middle because he can carry the puck back. The other thing is I didn't know he had a one-timer. Now we're seeing it all the time.”
It’s been an interesting road for Frederic over the last few years, with the 2016 first-round pick going from an effective fourth-line pest in 2020 to a hybrid forward who found himself in developmental purgatory for years while looking to scrap together a consistent role and identity on this team.
Frederic’s bigger frame and his willingness to serve as a fly in the ointment against the opposition might make him an appealing option as a checking-line bruiser. But the Bruins have remained resolute in their efforts to coax more offense out of Frederic on the third line — a long-term measure that is finally starting to yield some results next to Hall and Coyle.
As Montgomery noted when it comes to Frederic’s ceiling, the Bruins aren’t necessarily expecting the St. Louis native to suddenly elevate himself into a potential top-six stalwart. If Frederic can give Boston 15+ goals and 35+ points in a regular third-line role — while continuing to throw his weight around and pester foes — there’s plenty of value in what his unique game provides.
And with Frederic now up to six points (three goals, three assists) in his last five games, he’s starting to make good on the promise that the Bruins have tried to draw out for the last three seasons.
“It's awesome to see because Freddy is such a good guy and he's such a great team guy. He'll do anything for anyone,” Coyle said. “And sometimes it takes a little bit in this league. Sometimes you figure things out about yourself. And confidence is a great thing and when you use it and he's playing the right way and doing the right things and he's finding the scoresheet, it's huge. But he's doing it the right way.”