Bruins acquire Charlie Coyle from the Wild for Ryan Donato, conditional 5th-round pick

By: Patrick Donnelly

The Boston Bruins have acquired forward Charlie Coyle from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for forward Ryan Donato and a 2019 conditional fifth-round pick.

The pick will become a fourth-round pick (NYR–which the Bruins already had via the Adam McQuaid deal) should the Bruins advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

News first broke before 6:00 PM as Michael Russo of The Athletic reported that Coyle had been traded to an unknown team. Word of the trade gradually came in across Twitter, and TSN’s Bob McKenzie and Russo confirmed Coyle was headed to Boston for the return stated above.

Coyle, 26, is currently in his seventh season in the NHL. Selected by San Jose at 28th-overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft before being traded to Minnesota as part of the Brent Burns deal in 2011.

This season, the Boston University product has 10 goals, 18 assists, and 28 points in 60 games for Minnesota, and is on pace for 14 goals and 39 points. Coyle has a total of 91 goals, 151 assists, and 242 points in 479 career NHL games, to go along with seven goals, eight assists, and 15 points in 44 postseason contests.

The East Weymouth, MA native currently holds a $3.2-million cap hit for this year and next, and can play both center and wing, bringing versatility to the Bruins top-nine.

The 22-year-old Donato has skated in 46 total NHL games between this season and last, tallying 11 goals and 7 assists for 18 points in that span after a standout performance during the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyonchang (5G, 1A, 6P in 5GP) and two-straight 20-goal and 40-point seasons to finish his career at Harvard University.

The Scituate, MA native has skated in Providence of the AHL for the last month or so in his second AHL stint. On the year Donato totaled seven goals, five assists, and 12 points in 18 games for the Baby B’s.

“The Bruins are excited to add Charlie Coyle to our immediate lineup,” Bruins’ general manager Don Sweeney said of the trade. “Charlie brings unique qualities to our team – he is an experienced, productive, two-position player with size, skill and speed.”

“Charlie will provide the necessary depth in all areas of our game as we continue to battle for a playoff position,” Sweeney continued. “Charlie is a player our entire organization believes can help us now and moving forward.”

Sweeney also thanked Donato for his contributions to the Bruins, saying he and the organization “wish him much success in his NHL career. He is a special young man with a bright future in the league.”

Whether or not Coyle is utilized as third-line center or second-line right wing remains to be seen, and he should join the team in the coming days, meaning he would likely be available for Saturday’s matinee in St. Louis.