On paper, the market for a second-line center this offseason got smaller.
In practice, however, the Detroit Red Wings dodged a colossal bullet. The Columbus Blue Jackets extended second-line center Charlie Coyle, offering him a six year extension for his services. Coyle, 34, will be 40 by the time the contract is over.
The center had the third-best season of his career, scoring 20 goals and 38 assists for 58 points in 82 games. His salary runs at $6M AAV -- just a hair below Justin Faulk's current deal.
While a 20-goal, 50-60 point center may seem enticing on paper, it's important to note that, again, Coyle is 34. While some players like Patrick Kane and Evgeni Malkin have been able to turn back the clock and produce at a high level, those players are Patrick Kane and Evgeni Malkin. Charlie Coyle is not on that caliber.
The Red Wings are the fifth-oldest team in the NHL with an average age of 29.76. Adding Coyle to the mix would almost certainly catapult them over the Minnesota Wild's 29.79. If the Red WIngs hope to take that next step towards the playoffs, adding someone like Coyle would be shortsighted at best and malpractice at worst.
Why Coyle wouldn't work
It's not that Coyle isn't a perfectly fine player in his own right. He's fifth on the Blue Jackets in hits with 111 and isn't afraid to make his presence known. 45 of his 58 points came from even strength. He ended last season fourth in goals and points for the Blue Jackets. Had he played for the Red Wings, he would have been the team's fifth-highest scorer in points and fourth-highest in goals.
While, again, these may seem hugely beneficial for the Red Wings, the looming elephant in the room is his contract. Had Yzerman signed him to a two to three year stopgap, this contract wouldn't even be up for discussion. But that's not what the Blue Jackets did. They locked down a center past his prime to a six year deal after a bump in production during his contract year.
From here, there are really only two directions Coyle can take: he'll either continue this level of production, or age will catch up to him. The former is unlikely. The latter is inevitable.
Free agent market for center slim at best
When looking at prospective free agent centers, pickings are slim. Unless the Red Wings hope to grab a player like 32-year-old Scott Laughton, their options are extremely limited on the free agent front. Barring a trade for a high-end center, the Red Wings will either need to look to their own prospect pool or settle for a much more underwhelming result.
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