Charlie Coyle was traded to the Boston Bruins by the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday for forward Ryan Donato and a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft.
Coyle, who signed a five-year contract extension with the Wild on Oct. 22, 2014, can become an unrestricted free agent after next season.
The 26-year-old forward has 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists) in 60 games this season for Minnesota, but has gone without a point in his past seven games.
Boston (35-17-8), which has been interested in Coyle all season, would likely slot him into its third-line center spot behind Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. The Bruins have spent all season looking for a viable third-line center, trying out prospects Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson and Trent Frederic, but have not been able to find a reliable presence.
“Charlie brings unique qualities to our team — he is an experienced, productive, two-position player with size, skill and speed,” Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said. “Charlie will provide the necessary depth in all areas of our game as we continue to battle for a playoff position.”
The Bruins are in second place in the Atlantic Division, two points ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs entering their game against Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday (10 p.m. ET; NBCSN).
[RELATED: 2018-19 NHL Trade Tracker]
Selected by the San Jose Sharks in the first round (No. 28) in the 2010 NHL Draft, Coyle (6-foot-3, 220 pounds) has 242 points (91 goals, 151 assists) in 479 regular-season games and 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in 44 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Minnesota (27-27-6), which is 1-6-3 in its past 10 games, including consecutive shutout losses, is one point behind the Chicago Blackhawks for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Western Conference.
“It hasn’t been a lot of fun going to sleep at night,” general manager Paul Fenton said before the Wild’s 4-0 loss to the Anaheim Ducks at Xcel Energy Center on Tuesday. “When I do go to sleep, I find myself crying like a baby, just like most babies do.
“Am I making phone calls? I’m guaranteeing you I’m making phone calls, receiving phone calls, entertaining phone calls,” Fenton said. “That’s just the seat that I’m sitting in right now.”
Donato had nine points (six goals, three assists) in 34 games with Boston this season but was reassigned to Providence of the American Hockey League on Jan. 28. The 22-year-old, who was selected by the Bruins in the second round (No. 56) in the 2014 NHL Draft, has 18 points (11 goals, seven assists) in 46 NHL games.
NHL.com staff writer Amalie Benjamin and correspondent Jessi Pierce contributed to this report
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