Charlie Coyle, a veteran center, was one of the players fired by Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney during the trade deadline in March 2025. He was traded to the Colorado Avalanche for a package including Casey Mittlestadt and emerging prospect Will Zellers.
Coyle’s time in the Mile High City was brief, as he was traded last offseason to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The 34-year-old was set to be a free agent this summer, with some believing he would be the best free agent center in the open market. Those stats highlight how thin this free agency class is in the middle.
That’s not good news for clubs like the Bruins, who need a top-line center. Coyle is someone who would not have returned to Boston this summer in free agency, but strange things have occurred. On Tuesday, information began to trickle out that Coyle was near to signing a long-term deal to stay with the Blue Jackets. That turned out to be the case, and the Massachusetts native explained why he re-signed with Columbus.
Former Bruins forward Charlie Coyle explains why he re-signed with Columbus.
When it was revealed, Coyle agreed to a six-year deal extension to stay with the Blue Jackets with an average annual value of $6 million. That’s a ridiculous deal that will have him 40 when it expires. Now, whether or not he completes that deal with the Blue Jackets remains to be seen. However, throughout the season, there was a coaching change, with Rick Bowness taking over as interim coach. That’s when things turned around.
Columbus became a team that appeared to be on track to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but they collapsed down the stretch and missed. Bowness issued some statements through the media towards the end of the season, raising many concerns about his future in Columbus. He was named head coach, and, oddly enough, this was a component of Coyle’s re-signing. He stopped by SiriusXM’s Morning Skate to explain why he re-signed and wants to play for Bowness, despite his late-season outburst against his club.
We know what he meant, and we understand what he was attempting to achieve with it, which was for a good cause,” says Coyle. He cares so much, and he wants to help, improve, and move forward. That’s the type of person I want to play for. “
Just like that, one of the top centers in the market is off the board, re-signing with Columbus for a large contract.
