- Charlie Coyle re-signed with Columbus on a six-year, $36 million extension Tuesday
- The deal carries a $6 million AAV and runs through the 2031-32 season
- Read below for what Coyle brought to Columbus in year one and why Don Waddell paid up to keep him
Charlie Coyle is staying in Columbus.
The Blue Jackets locked up the veteran center on a six-year, $36 million extension through the 2031-32 season, GM Don Waddell announced Tuesday.
The deal carries a $6 million AAV and keeps Coyle off the open market, where he could have hit unrestricted free agency on July 1.
Waddell explained why keeping the 34-year-old in Columbus was a priority for the front office:
“Charlie made a tremendous impact on and off the ice for us last season and keeping him in Columbus was a priority. He is the definition of a true pro, and a durable, reliable, productive right-shot center whose leadership, character and consistency are extremely valuable in this league.”
Coyle just wrapped his first season in a Blue Jackets sweater after coming over from Colorado last June with Miles Wood. He responded with 20 goals and 38 assists for 58 points in 82 games, tying his career high in helpers.
He also tied for the team lead with seven power-play goals and won 50.7 percent of his faceoffs while logging 18:06 of ice time a night. That’s heavy minutes for a 34-year-old in his 14th NHL season.
Check out his second career hat trick from January in Chicago, which was one of the early signs Columbus had something with this trade:
Durability is part of the sales pitch too. Coyle has played 411 consecutive games dating back to October 2021, which is the fourth-longest active streak in the league. He’s suited up for every game in nine of his 13 full NHL seasons.
A native of East Weymouth, Massachusetts, Coyle has piled up 209 goals and 543 points across 1,032 career games with Columbus, Colorado, Boston, and Minnesota since his 2012-13 debut. He owns 13 playoff appearances and a run to the 2019 Stanley Cup Final with the Bruins before Colorado flipped him to Columbus last June.
Columbus missed the playoffs again this year, but Waddell is betting Coyle can help change that. A right-shot center who wins faceoffs and plays every night is hard to find, and now they have one locked in through 2032.
