The Latest On Radim Vrbata

At least five teams have expressed an interest in Arizona right winger Radim Vrbata according to ESPN’s Craig Custance (Twitter link).  The Bruins, Flames, Islanders, Panthers, and Penguins are all interested in the services of the 35 year old, who is expected to be one of the more prominent forwards dealt today.  TSN’s Darren Dreger adds (via Twitter) that the Canadiens are among the teams that have the most interest in him as well.

Vrbata is in the middle of a strong bounce back season in his third stint with the Coyotes.  Through 62 games this year, he has 15 goals and 32 assists to lead the team in scoring.  That type of production would fit in well on just about any contender so GM John Chayka should be able to line up a nice return for the veteran.

Part of the allure for Vrbata is his contract which carries a cap hit of just $1MM and he will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.  However, it’s worth noting that he has playoff-based incentives in his deal as well: $250K if his team makes the postseason plus an additional $250K for each round that team wins and the acquiring team will be responsible for absorbing those onto their cap either this year or next season as a bonus overage penalty.