The Arizona Coyotes continue their run on contracts they will never have to pay out. The team has acquired Jakub Voracek from the Columbus Blue Jackets, along with a 2023 sixth-round pick, in exchange for Jon Gillies. Voracek’s career is in doubt, and according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, there is insurance coverage for next year’s $7.8MM salary.
The move is important for a few different reasons. One, it gets the Coyotes much closer to the salary cap floor for next season, meaning they can make additional trades in the next 24 hours to jettison more expensive pieces like Nick Schmaltz or Lawson Crouse that may be drawing interest.
For the Blue Jackets, the move lets them get out from long-term injured reserve and under the salary cap ceiling, meaning performance bonuses from this year will no longer be carried over to 2023-24. With only the cost of a sixth-round pick to pay, it makes plenty of sense to get Voracek’s contract off the books.
If it is the end of his career as suspected, thanks to multiple head injuries, Voracek will go down as one of his generation’s more underrated offensive players. With over 800 points in his career, he sits 177th all-time and is just shy of the top 100 in assists with 583.
He’ll join a long list of players who have technically been part of the Coyotes organization but never played a game for the team, should he miss next season as expected.
Arizona now has Voracek, Shea Weber, and Bryan Little on the books for next season, a total of nearly $21.4MM in cap hits that won’t play a minute of ice time. On the other hand, they also have 36 draft picks over the next three years, including 21 in the top three rounds.
The Arizona Coyotes are a money laundering organization. Only trade for LTIR players to get the insurance money. They could’ve got a much better return for Chychrun by taking back a contract, but their problem was that player would actually have to play for their team and receive a salary.
That’s exactly what they are! And they keep the salary cap number down by being a money losing black hole. Bugsy Bettman running a mob operation. :D
So what about the other teams benefiting from these trades?
Now, we should keep a tally board to see how many of their precious draft picks don’t sign there. There’s no prize for guessing an over/under, but maybe we can root harder for their relocation to somewhere else. Bettman will obstruct our wishes, of course, because that’s the kind of guy he is.
I’m sure Gary’s keeping a close eye on it…..fooking’ joke that they can get way with this year after year. Weber, Pronger, Voracek, Little, Bolland, Hossa, Datsyuk….yeah, let’s punish the Canucks retroactively though!! Also, forgot about how many times Clarkson and Horton were traded to get a teams cap floor up….no cap circumventing happening there, eh Gary?
Outlaw these trades!
They’re marching to the cup!
@cornwhisperer – Some just call it a spittoon.
BRING OUT YOUR DEAD
BRING OUT YOUR DEAD
Good lord. This is like clockwork every year it seems.
Yep..and it’s sad to see that they are still in the NHL and that bettman doesn’t care enough to relocate this team in a better city. I just have the Quebec nordiques in mind, where they have a beautiful arena ready for an NHL team and meanwhile the yotes..well you know,,anyways..