The Boston Bruins have had their long history of inadequate signings or trades, sometimes. It’s not unusual that the former Bruin has come back to haunt them. Lately, the Bruins seemed to make the right decision by moving Ryan Donato.
The Bruins traded their second-round draft choice last February to the Minnesota Wild for top-six forward Charlie Coyle. Coyle has turned out to be a massive presence during the Stanley Cup playoffs for Boston. Donato didn’t have his worst spell during his time in Minnesota last year, either.
However, he made sure to state that the coaches back in Boston reluctantly didn’t grant him a proper chance. In the offseason, Donato has signed a two-year contract extension worth $1.9 million per campaign with the Wild. At the beginning of the new season, Donato has had a tough start with only two assists in 10 games. Often, he has been benched or simply healthy-scratched.
The Wild are reportedly shopping him, along with two other young players from Minnesota. The former Harvard University Hobey Baker Trophy finalist held the Bruins fans’ expectations high on him. Donato scored his first NHL goal in his first NHL game back in the spring of 2018.
Only 19 months later, Donato, already on the different team, might be on the move again. It has been the identical story, an influential start, but a lackluster follow-up.
From Minnesota’s viewpoint, the Wild traded their veteran forward in Coyle for a future bet, which has not worked so far. That’s not ideal. From Boston’s perspective, it was undoubtedly sorry to see such a talented attacker as Donato go, but gaining Coyle in such circumstances appears to be a massive success.
There is a wish from each party involved that the 23-year-old versatile forward doesn’t curve his career in the way Ryan Spooner did.
