The Minnesota Wild traded forward Charlie Coyle to the Boston Bruins in exchange for forward Ryan Donato and a fifth-round pick, the Bruins announced Wednesday.
"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 in a statement released by the team. "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.''
Coyle, 26, has been the subject of trade rumors the past two seasons.
After increasing his point total every season from his rookie season in 2012-13 to 2016-17, with 56, Coyle dropped back to 37 last season. He has 10 goals and 28 points in 58 games this season. The Massachusetts native is under contract in 2019-20 as well, with a cap hit of $3.2 million. Coyle can play either center or wing. That makes sense for the Bruins, who felt they paid too high a price for a rental at last year's deadline (Rick Nash) after the team did not make it past the second round of the playoffs.
Donato, 22, is a former standout at Harvard. He signed with the Bruins last spring after his college season ended and appeared in 12 games and three postseason games. He has been unable to stick on the Bruins' roster this season, playing only 34 games while bouncing between the Bruins and their AHL team in Providence. Donato was a star for Team USA at the 2018 Olympics and was one of only four college players who made the American roster. Donato led the U.S. in scoring in the tournament with six points, including five goals.
"We wish him much success in his NHL career,'' Sweeney said. "He is a special young man with a bright future in the league.''
Coyle came to Minnesota in the trade that sent defenseman Brent Burns to San Jose. Also involved in that deal was a second-round pick that eventually landed in Nashville, which selected forward Pontus Aberg. He was acquired by Minnesota in January.
The Wild have been in contention for a playoff spot for most of this season, but they have endured a slump the past three weeks. Minnesota has just one win in 10 games in February, and as of Wednesday, the Wild had fallen out of a wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
The Bruins, meanwhile, have been rolling, despite announcing last week that star winger David Pastrnak would be out at least two weeks after a freak injury led to surgery on his left thumb. Boston insists that Pastrnak will return before the end of the season. With 78 points, the Bruins are in second place in the Atlantic Division.