For the most part, Bruce Boudreau appreciates the many virtues of Wild forward Charlie Coyle. Hard worker? Great. Good teammate? Absolutely. Unselfish?
Yes, but …
"One thing he never did last year was shoot the puck," the Wild coach said, his exaggeration hinting at his exasperation. "That's got to change."
Coyle's generosity and good nature have made him plenty of friends as he begins his sixth NHL season. While Boudreau has no problem with him offering someone else the last piece of pie in the buffet line, he wants to see Coyle get a little more greedy on the ice, beginning with Thursday's season opener in Detroit.
Whether he's playing wing or center, Coyle's default setting has been to pass rather than shoot. That instinct generated a career-high 38 assists last season, part of a 56-point effort that continued his steady statistical improvement.
Yet it also vexed Boudreau, who wanted to see the 6-3, 221-pound forward use his full capabilities on a more consistent basis.
Coyle is expected to start the season at right wing on a line with Eric Staal and Nino Niederreiter, where Coyle's unique blend of muscle, size and finesse could propel him from a solid player into a star. During the preseason, he heard Boudreau's plea, firing a team-high 20 shots — and scoring on three of those, while collecting three assists as well. His mission now is to maintain that frame of mind through an entire season, even if it goes against his instincts.
"I know I have to be more selfish," said Coyle, 25, who had two game-winning goals in five preseason games. "It doesn't come naturally, but it's the right thing to do.