Cam Neely hints at a big change to Bruins’ lineup for upcoming season

It’s been a quiet offseason for the Boston Bruins so far. General manager Don Sweeney hasn’t made many, if any, significant changes to his team’s roster. Sure, he still has restricted free agents Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo under contract, but all signs point to long-term deals for both young blueliners. Once that’s done, the Bruins will have little cap space for Sweeney to work with, so any changes he wants will have to come from within the organization.

One significant change, proposed by Bruins president Cam Neely, could cause a ripple effect throughout the team’s entire lineup. In a recent conversation with NBC Sports Boston’s Joe Haggery, Neely admitted that the team is considering moving center Charlie Coyle to the wing.

Check out these quotes:

“I’m interested to see what happens with the center ice position. If somebody pops and can play a third-line role at center then we’d certainly look at Charlie on the wing. Bouncing him back and forth I don’t think is good for him or good for any linemate. But he had a solid, solid postseason.”

“I thought that (third) line was a big reason we had the success we did. But if we have a centerman in the pipeline or even on the roster that could pop and play a third-line role? Then I wouldn’t be surprised if (Bruce Cassidy) doesn’t try Charlie out on the wing in a role with (David) Krejci. So we’ll see.”

Interesting. What it will come down to realistically though is whether or not Jack Studnicka and/or Trent Frederic can nail down a full time spot during training camp. Stay tuned, B’s fans.