Coyle fit in seamlessly as Boston's third line center upon his arrival and while his offensive numbers didn't pop immediately, his veteran presence and dominant puck possession skills brought stability to a position that had been a revolving door throughout the regular season.
During the Bruins' postseason run, the pivot's impact reached another level. Coyle suited up for all 24 playoff games and was, arguably, Boston's best and most consistent forward, as he piled up 16 points (nine goals, seven assists), including three goals and an assist in the Stanley Cup Final.
Despite his mid-season arrival, Coyle believes that extra two months of playoff hockey was integral for his assimilation into Boston's dressing room.
"It's been great. We had a great run," said Coyle. "You see what it's like firsthand here, how everyone goes about their business, how it's such a team aspect and you see why this team is always so good. It makes you proud and happy to be part of that, and you want to add to that.
"We had the summer to kind of regroup, refresh, come back. It's great to see everyone again and we have some motivation here, which is good. Everyone's been upbeat, practice has been going great so far, and we're looking forward to the strides that we take here early on."
Coyle has been back in his familiar third-line center role thus far in camp, with both Brett Ritchie and Danton Heinen - his linemate last season - alternating reps on the right side. On the left side, meanwhile, Coyle has been consistently flanked by young winger Anders Bjork.
"I hadn't really seen [Bjork] play live actually," said Coyle, who will center the Notre Dame product and Heinen on Thursday night againt Philadelphia. "I've seen clips here and there and heard about him. You can tell he's got some skill, he can skate, he's really smooth. I've loved playing with him a little bit here, just feeling him out and talking to him, getting to know him as a person. So, I think we're starting to gain a little chemistry that way, so we'll see how it goes as it goes on."
Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy has said on several occasions during camp that his preference and intention is to have Coyle stay as his third-line center for the foreseeable future, with the possibility that at some point down the line - should one of Boston's young centers emerge - he gets a look as a top-six right wing.
"Let's just say we threw [Sean] Kuraly on that left wing, so now you've got Kuraly, Ritchie and Coyle," Cassidy said when asked how he sees the third line shaping up. "Those are [players] 6-2 and above, and 200-pound plus - would that be something that could work? Could they score enough? They certainly are going to possess the puck, certainly are going to be hard to play against.
"That kind of depends again on [Trent] Frederic, [Par] Lindholm, can they handle the [fourth-line] center spot? But Ritchie and Coyle, if it did work out, those are big bodies. Maybe they need someone who's like a [Danton] Heinen over there to make a few plays, or [Anders] Bjork for them as well."
