The Boston Bruins didn't wait until the Feb. 25 NHL trade deadline to make a move.
The B's announced Wednesday night they have traded for Minnesota Wild center Charlie Coyle in exchange for Ryan Donato and a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2019 draft. That pick turns into a fourth-round pick if the Bruins make the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
To make room, the Bruins sent Peter Cehlarik down to their AHL affiliate in Providence.
"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. Charlie is a player our entire organization believes can help us now and moving forward. The Bruins also want to thank Ryan Donato for his contributions to our organization, and we wish him much success in his NHL career. He is a special young man with a bright future in the league."
Coyle has tallied 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists) through 60 games for the Wild this season. He is signed through the 2019-20 season with a $3.2 million salary cap hit, so he's not a rental for the B's. The 26-year-old forward knows the Boston area very well. He hails from Weymouth, Mass., split his high school hockey career between Weymouth High and Thayer Academy, and played college hockey at Boston University.
Giving up on Donato is an interesting move for the Bruins. The 2014 second-round draft pick made his NHL debut last season and played well, but he was unable to build off that success in his second pro campaign. Donato is just 22 years old and still has a promising future, but the price to acquire veterans at the deadline often is pretty high.
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