With David Krejci ailing, Charlie Coyle gets a look as No. 2 center
Coyle centered a line with Jake DeBrusk and Karson Kuhlman at practice Friday.
Charlie Coyle filled in for the injured David Krejci at Friday’s Bruins practice. He was the clear-cut choice.
In his first training camp as a Bruin, the Weymouth-raised center has been noticeable all over the ice. The 6-foot-3-inch, 220-pound Coyle does not have Krejci’s sublime vision, but in the short term, Jake DeBrusk and Karson Kuhlman should mesh well with their physical, puck-protecting pivot.
“I don’t try to do too much, or change up,’’ he said of the temporary promotion. “I just want to keep building my game the way I know how.’’
However, he conceded, “You always want more ice time.’’
He’ll probably get it in Saturday’s preseason finale against the Blackhawks (3 p.m., TD Garden), as will fellow center Par Lindholm. With Krejci (lower body) off skates and the club managing Patrice Bergeron’s workload, Coyle and Lindholm could play top-six minutes.
Bergeron will make his preseason debut Saturday. Coach Bruce Cassidy expects Krejci to return to the ice Sunday or Monday, and be ready for Thursday’s opener in Dallas. Krejci has not skated since logging 1:22 last Monday against Philadelphia. He got up slowly after tangling with a pair of Flyers in front of the net.
Bergeron, slowed by a wonky groin the last few years, had a platelet-rich plasma injection in June, a procedure meant to speed up healing. He will rest Sunday, but Cassidy has no reason to worry about a slow October for his No. 1 center.
“I guess it’s a concern because we’ve put him on a schedule,’’ Cassidy said. “It’s always, are we wrong on that? That’s the medical team meeting with the coaching staff meeting with the player. So we’ll see. But no, he looks good right now.’’
In Lindholm and Coyle, the Bruins may be forecasting the future.
They like Coyle as a No. 3, where he draws more favorable matchups, and point totals are less of a requirement. But the 27-year-old, nearing the end of a five-year, $16 million deal, could earn a significant raise if he builds on last year’s postseason breakout (9-7—16 in 24 games).
A full season here will determine his viability as a potential replacement for Krejci, who is 33 and signed through 2021. If they aren’t willing to make that leap — perhaps helping bridge the gap to prospect Jack Studnicka — Coyle could remain a highly effective third-liner.
“Guys that consistently put up the numbers, guys that find a way to get on the scoresheet, that’s what separates being able to move up,’’ Cassidy mused. “That would be the measuring stick. At least that’s the way I see it.’’
In Lindholm, the Bruins may have found a Swedish version of Riley Nash.
Signed as an economical fourth-liner who kills penalties, he has pleased Cassidy with his offensive acumen. He set up David Backes for a goal in a 2-0 win over New Jersey Wednesday, his strong two-way game anchoring a pair of wingers with speed (Anders Bjork) and snarl (Backes). He is likely to center Bjork and Brett Ritchie Saturday.
In his NHL debut last year with Toronto and Winnipeg, the 27-year-old scored one goal on 52 shots and registered two primary assists (1-12—13 total line in 65 games).
“I think he wanted to — not survive, but make sure he was good defensively,’’ Cassidy said. “He thought he had more to give. We’re seeing that. He’s got some talent, can make plays, sees the ice.’’
Perhaps it’s the condition of his top two centers that has him thinking this way, but Cassidy went so far as to peg Lindholm as a potential top-six fill-in. He name-checked Nash, who filled in as a No. 1 center when Bergeron was ailing in 2017-18.
“I’m certain he could go in there for a few games and play with the DeBrusks and distribute the puck well enough for the Marchys [Brad Marchand], whoever it happens to be,’’ Cassidy said. “[He] can probably give you some games there.’’
The Bruins signed Lindholm July 1 for two years and $1.7 million, a $100,000 discount off the deal Nash inked in 2016. Nash tripled his salary in Columbus last year (three years, $8.25 million) but his wattage dimmed from 41 points in his last Bruins hurrah to 12 in his Blue Jackets debut. Lindholm is hoping for the opposite: a productive fresh start.
“I feel comfortable,’’ Lindholm said. “I think I’ve been decent. I think I can do more than I’ve done in the three games I’ve played. A medium kind of game.’’
Nordstrom lags
Joakim Nordstrom, the fourth-line left wing recovering from a foot fracture, was targeting one of the final two preseason games for his camp debut. He did not practice Friday and will not play Saturday.
“A little behind schedule,’’ Cassidy said. “I think something just lingered. I guess setback is maybe the word. It didn’t come around as quickly as he’d like.
“We don’t expect it to drag on forever, but we were hoping he’d be back up to speed by now.’’
Nordstorm won’t be pushed into action, given the Bruins’ depth. Lindholm, Sean Kuraly, or
Chris Wagner could drop into Nordstrom’s spot.
All smiles
As Studnicka was in the dentist’s chair Friday, having damage from a puck repaired, he might have been thinking about a strong camp.
“I think I put my best foot forward so far,’’ he said Wednesday, a few hours after a puck smashed off his mouth and into the net. I think I’ve got a lot to show, still.
“It’s one of the deepest rosters in the NHL. If I do go down to Providence, listen, I’m a 20-year-old kid playing pro hockey. I’m not going to hang my head.’’
Studnicka, who said he has taken four pucks to the mouth in the past four years, put a glove to his face and raised his stick after giving the Bruins a 1-0 lead. The first preseason goal of his career was painful.
“That’s got to be the worst celebration, spitting teeth everywhere,’’ he said. “I think you guys have asked a couple times why I don’t get them fixed. That’s why.’’
