Bruins and Wild linked in trade talks?!

Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney has been quite blunt and honest about his team's performance and the fact that his roster has been ravaged by injuries lately: according to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, Sweeney confirmed that he is looking for help up front hours before Boston’s 4-2 loss to the Maple Leafs in Toronto on Monday. 

It now seems like there is a very good immediate helping option for the Bruins in Minnesota. According to Joe McDonald of The Athletic, Sweeney could revisit his offseason interest in Wild center Charlie Coyle.

It is no secret the Bruins need help to stay in contention for a playoff spot as the first half of the season will soon be coming to an end. Star player Patrice Bergeron will be sidelined for at least four weeks with a rib injury. Sweeney made it clear he is looking for short-term replacement and the Wild could be willing to listen on an offer for Coyle on the trade market. Wild team insider Michael Russo of The Athletic has placed Coyle on his list of this season's most likely Wild trade candidates this season.

Coyle could certainly fill in during Bergeron's absence, and the 26-year-old forward could then be used elsewhere up front to deepen the Bruins' depth and allow them to breathe once a player lands on the sidelines. Since the start of the season, the Bruins have struggled to catch their breath. In 23 games this season in Minnesota, Coyle has tallied three goals and a total of 11 points. 

While Coyle might generate a lot of interest for other teams looking for an offensive boost, like the Pittsburgh Penguins, Los Angeles Kings or Edmonton Oilers, McDonald also suggests other options for the Bruins to look at. He points to Tyler Bozak of the St. Louis Blues and Derek Stepan of the Arizona Coyotes as other options.

It seems quite unlikely for the Blues to move Bozak, who signed a three-year contract with average annual salary of $5 million in St. Louis as a free agent this past July. 

As for Stepan, the Coyotes recently shipped forwards Dylan Strome and Brendan Perlini to the Chicago Blackhawks for Nick Schmaltz, and so, it seems unlikely for them to part with Stepan at the moment. 

Sweeney could have his eye on someone else... let's see if the pressure gets to him and if the Bruins GM will pull the trigger to help his team as soon as possible.