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Shane Doan

Snapshots: Miller, Chayka, Dorion

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Ryan Miller was the topic on the mind of Pierre LeBrun of ESPN yesterday, when he discussed the possibility of the goaltender waiving his no-trade clause to move at the deadline. Today, Rick Dhaliwal of 1130 News in Vancouver reports that Miller’s agent Mike Liut will talk to his client about the possibilities this week, but that nothing is decided as of yet.

Miller has just five teams that he can be traded to without his permission, and with the news that the Los Angeles Kings will be soon getting Jonathan Quick back, the three we know of—Los Angeles, San Jose and Anaheim—don’t seem to need a goaltender. If he is acquired at the deadline it will likely be because he’s waived his clause to pursue another chance at the Stanley Cup.

  • Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News writes that John Chayka isn’t even close to finished after dealing Michael Stone earlier this week. He has so many assets that he could move at the deadline—like Radim Vrbata, Martin Hanzal and Shane Doan—that he’ll likely be one of the busiest GMs this week. Indeed, Chayka himself admitted today on Arizona Sports 98.7 (via Chris Nichols of FanRag Sports) that he’d had discussions on some big deals. The trio of rentals mentioned above are likely to move, but the Arizona GM could also move Anthony Duclair, Jamie McGinn or Tobias Rieder if he chooses to.
  • We learned today that Ottawa Senators GM Pierre Dorion had been getting calls on Curtis Lazar, but what did those deals look like? He joined TSN today (video link) and said that other teams have been trying to “fleece” him. Obviously teams are looking at his single point this season and thinking that they could get a former first-round pick at an all-time low value. Dorion for his part still believes he will be a very good NHL player, and it’s just an unfortunate set of circumstances this season.

McKenzie’s Latest: Coaching Vacancies, Coyotes Rentals

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In a series of tweets after appearing on NBCSN, Bob McKenzie of TSN reports that both the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers will likely seek permission from the Boston Bruins to interview Claude Julien for their coaching vacancies. Though Julien is just couple of days removed from the job in Boston, many people feel like he’ll immediately bounce back and helm one of the open teams.

McKenzie adds that the New York Islanders, who fired Jack Capuano last month will not talk to Julien about their vacancy, instead happy with Doug Weight for the time being. Julien would be an interesting option for the Golden Knights, who have made it known that they want a big name for their first coach. Ken Hitchcock and Gerard Gallant are also available, though McKenzie reported this week that Hitchcock is currently just enjoying his time off.

Julien has been the coach of the Bruins since 2007-08, and won the Stanley Cup with the club in 2011. After back to back seasons out of the playoffs, and an up and down 2016-17 the team decided to move on. He’s been to the playoffs in 9 of his 14 seasons (though some have been partial) and is generally regarded as one of the best coaches in the league.

McKenzie also responded to a report that three Arizona Coyotes officials (including GM John Chayka) are in attendance at tonight’s Chicago Blackhawks-Minnesota Wild game saying that the Coyotes are trying to market their rentals. A matchup between two Western Conference contenders would be a great place to do that, though Chicago GM Stan Bowman has said multiple times that they will likely be very quiet at the deadline do to cap issues.

The Coyotes have a number of expiring contracts, including Shane Doan, Radim Vrbata, Martin Hanzal and Michael Stone. Several of those if not all, are likely to move before the deadline. Stone is an interesting case though, as his relative youth (26) could still fit in with the rebuild of the Coyotes. His health is a concern, as is the inconsistent play this season but he should still command a hefty price on the free agent market and would be a solid addition for many teams around the league at deadline time.

Latest From Garrioch: Julien, Doan, Coyotes, Shattenkirk, Duchene

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While many are wondering if the Bruins will opt to replace Claude Julien as head coach, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun suggests that team owner Jeremy Jacobs has played a big role in keeping him around.  On the flip side, he notes that team president Cam Neely wouldn’t mind a change being made.  Julien is the longest-tenured coach in the NHL and is in his tenth season behind Boston’s bench.  The Bruins currently find themselves in a playoff spot but they sit just one point ahead of Toronto who have five games in hand so it likely won’t be long before they’re on the outside looking in.

Garrioch also covered several league-wide topics in his Insider Trading column.  Here are some of the highlights although the full column is worth a read:

  • While it’s far from a guarantee that Arizona right winger Shane Doan decides to agree to a deal, it sounds like he may be staying in the Pacific Division if he does move as he would prefer to not have to go too far. Anaheim, San Jose, and Los Angeles are believed to have interest in the 40 year old.  After a 28 goal 2015-16 campaign, Doan’s offensive production has slowed down considerably this year as he has just five goals and 12 assists in 51 games.  Accordingly, he would be a bottom six forward if he does eventually agree to a move.
  • While it’s well-known that the asking price for Coyotes center Martin Hanzal is quite high, GM John Chayka has also put a very high price tag on some of their other rental players including right winger Radim Vrbata, center Ryan White, and defenseman Michael Stone. As of yet, no one’s willing to meet the prices and it’s worth remembering that the playoff bonuses in Vrbata’s contract will be absorbed by whoever acquires him which should affect his value.  Stone’s likely to fetch a decent return as one of the better rental blueliners but the price for White, a fourth line center, shouldn’t be too high.
  • One team in the Eastern Conference received permission over the last two weeks to talk to St. Louis defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk regarding a contract extension. However, that deal fell through.  It has been suggested over the past few weeks that it’s much more likely that Shattenkirk will have to be dealt as a rental and not in a sign-and-trade deal which would undoubtedly yield a better return for the Blues.
  • The Lightning are among the teams to express an interest in Matt Duchene. Given who they have to re-sign this summer (including forwards Jonathan Drouin, Tyler Johnson, and Ondrej Palat), it seems difficult to imagine that they’d be able to keep them and add Duchene’s $6MM cap hit although it’s also possible that one of those players could be of interest to Colorado GM Joe Sakic in a possible deal.

Trade Candidates: Shane Doan

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Shane Doan is in his 21st season in the NHL, every single one spent with the Winnipeg Jets/Phoenix-Arizona Coyotes franchise. During that time he has appeared in more than 1,500 regular season games and potted 400 goals. His resume is certainly impressive, however Doan hasn’t been part of a Stanley Cup championship team and if he has designs on winning one he may have to finally move on from the only organization he has ever known.

Arizona’s season is all but officially over. With just 38 standings points, the Coyotes rank 29th in the league, ahead of only Colorado and are 17 points out of a wild card spot. Essentially, they have no chance to make the playoffs and along with the aforementioned Avalanche are one of the only obvious trade deadline sellers in the NHL. Clubs in this situation generally look to deal proven veterans, particularly ones that are pending free agents, for futures and Doan perfectly fits the mold of player often traded at the deadline. But given his standing within and commitment to the organization, it’s possible Doan remains in the desert.

Contract

As mentioned above, the 40-year-old Doan is on an expiring contract and comes with a cap hit of $3.876MM this year and $1M worth of games-played bonuses which will count against next year’s cap. Presumably a team acquiring Doan would assume a prorated portion of the cap charge resulting from any bonuses met.

2016-17

Doan has struggled this year, netting just four goals a season after finding the back of the net 28 times in 2015-16. A huge decrease in shooting percentage – 3.8% in 2016-17 versus 16.5 the prior season – and less ice time have been factors for his suffering goal scoring production. He tallied 12 man-advantage goals and 17 points in 2015-16 while averaging better than three minutes per game on the power play. That average is down to 1:24 this season and unsurprisingly he has netted one goal and three points with the man-advantage.

Season Stats

50 GP – 4 goals, 12 assists, 16 points, -5 plus-minus rating, 36 PIM, 105 SOG, 15:15 ATOI

Potential Suitors

It might be easier to list the teams who wouldn’t have some level of interest in Doan. Anyone looking for size and bite on the wing and a veteran presence in the room would love to have the longtime Coyotes captain on their roster. A young team like Edmonton could use some additional experience, perhaps, but already boasts plenty of size on the wing in the persons of Milan Lucic, Patrick Maroon and Zack Kassian. The Blackhawks are known to be looking at top-six wingers and while Doan’s lackluster production wouldn’t seem to address that need, the opportunity to play with Jonathan Toews could spark the veteran winger. Montreal is also believed to be interested in adding size to the lineup and have already been linked to Doan’s teammate, Martin Hanzal.

Likelihood of Trade

Doan holds a NMC in his contract and it’s going to be entirely up to him if he wants to leave the desert. In the past he’s resisted overtures from other clubs, both via trade and as a free agent, due to family reasons but this may well be his final NHL season and subsequently his last shot to win a Cup. However, Doan’s role has decreased this season and it’s clear the Coyotes are looking toward the future. It may well be time for Doan to accept a trade to a team with a reasonable chance to win a championship. At this point it’s probably a coin toss whether he is traded or sticks with Arizona.

 

Pacific Notes: Burrows, Doan, Domi, Donskoi

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While his name has been in trade rumblings for several years now, Vancouver winger Alex Burrows isn’t particularly worried about whether or not he gets traded by the March 1st trade deadline, he told Sportsnet’s Carol Schram.  Burrows has a full no-trade clause and at this point he hasn’t been approached about waiving it, nor has he gone to the team to ask for a move.

With 16 points (7-9-16) in 44 games this season, the 35 year old would likely represent a bottom six upgrade for some teams at the deadline.  However, with a cap hit of $4.5MM, the amount of teams that will be able to afford him will be limited.

The Canucks are still in the playoff hunt as they sit just three points out of a Wild Card spot.  However, it doesn’t seem likely that Burrows will be back next season so it will be interesting to see if they approach him about waiving his no-trade clause even if they stay in the postseason race.

More from the Pacific:

  • While the report last month that suggested Coyotes right winger Shane Doan might be open to a trade had many speculating about where he could go, GM John Chayka noted in an interview with 98.7 FM Arizona Sports that there haven’t been any discussions on that front for several weeks. He added that the trade deadline still a month away, there’s no rush on either side to see if there’s a potential move to be made or if he wants to stay in Arizona.
  • Still with the Coyotes, left winger Max Domi practiced for the first time on Wednesday as he recovers from a broken hand, notes Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic. Domi has been out of the lineup since late December with the injury.  Dave Vest of Arizona’s team site adds (Twitter link) that Domi will be a game-time decision tonight against Chicago.  The sophomore forward is fifth in scoring on the Coyotes despite playing in just 26 games this season, collecting 16 points.  His point per game total is the highest on the team.
  • Sharks right winger Joonas Donskoi is dealing with a re-aggravation of an upper body injury he suffered back in early January against Calgary, reports CSN Bay Area’s Kevin Kurz. Donskoi has played in just three games since then and is not with the team in Vancouver for their matchup tonight.  He’s expected to be out for another week, adds Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News (Twitter link). The 24 year old isn’t having the success he had in his rookie season where he put up 36 points in 76 games; he has just six goals and nine assists through 45 contests this year.

Quotable: Shane Doan On The Possibility Of Being Traded

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The report over the weekend that suggested that long-time Coyotes captain Shane Doan could be willing to accept a trade caught many by surprise.  Speaking with reporters, including Tim Campbell of NHL.com, he clarified the situation:

“People have texted and talked to me about it. I never said I wouldn’t go anywhere. I’ve always wanted to stay here. If there was ever an opportunity, the Coyotes have always been incredible to me and respectful to me in every way.

“I’d talk about it with my family and make a decision on that if it was to come up but it would have to be so perfect and so right that it’s pretty hard for it to all line up perfectly. It would have to be exactly perfect and that just doesn’t happen too often in our sport.”

Doan has been with the organization for 21 years, dating back to their original incarnation as the old Winnipeg Jets.  He’s one of just nine players in league history to spend that long with the same organization, a legacy that’s quite important to him, notes Sarah McLellan of the Arizona Republic.

Shane Doan

The 40 year old has struggled this season, posting just four goals and eight assists in 43 games, his worst point-per-game production since 1996-97.  The team is also expected to miss the playoffs as they 29th in the league and 16 points out of the last Wild Card spot so if he wants to play in the postseason this year, it will have to be somewhere else.

Doan was also quick to note, however, that the trade talk didn’t start with him:

“It wasn’t me saying it. I’ve been frustrated with the year, with us not winning and stuff, that’s always tough. I haven’t said it to them, to management, or said anything to them, but I’ve also never said I wouldn’t [agree to be traded].

“If it comes to that point, we’ll sit down and talk about it. It’s happened in the past, it’s just that no one’s ever heard about it. We’ve had the discussion and said yes or no and for the most part it’s been no.”

Although his days of being a top six forward are over, it’s likely that several contending teams would be interested in adding him for the stretch run.  However, with a cap hit of just over $3.875MM (not including games played bonuses of over $960K), it would take some creativity to get the finances to work in a deal.  Doan’s contract also carries deferred signing bonus money over the next five years (CapFriendly has the detailed breakdown) which also has to be considered as well.

Doan was also asked about whether or not this would be his final season and noted that he isn’t ready to make that decision yet:

“I’ll decide at the end of the year. As long as I’m enjoying playing the game, I want to play. It’s the best sport in the world.”

With the trade deadline still six weeks away, there’s plenty of time for Doan to make a decision about his playing future.  If he decides to take a run at a Stanley Cup this season, he will be one of the more interesting players to change teams this season.  His case will be one to keep a close eye on in the weeks ahead.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Garrioch’s Latest: Coyotes, Snow, Devils, Bishop, Van Riemsdyk

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Things aren’t going so rosy in Arizona right now.  Not only do they find themselves miles out of a playoff spot, the frustration is spreading to within the dressing room as well, reports Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun in his latest Insider Trading column.  The decision to go to a more analytics-based decision making process hasn’t worked (so far, at least) and Garrioch adds that it’s not yet known what the fate of head coach Dave Tippett will be when the season comes to an end.

In the meantime, the focus will shift to who they can move prior to the trade deadline, particularly where it comes to the rental players.  We took a closer look at their situation earlier today.  The recent mention that Shane Doan could be willing to consider a trade in the right situation is drawing some attention; Garrioch notes that San Jose is a team that has shown some interest in the 40 year old over the last couple of years but obviously nothing came to fruition.

Garrioch also tackles several other topics from around the league.  Here are some of the highlights, though the full column is worth a read:

  • With the New York Islanders scuffling through the first half, he suggests that GM Garth Snow’s job may be in jeopardy. His decision to allow right winger Kyle Okposo and center Frans Nielsen to depart in free agency hasn’t exactly panned out with both players being named All-Stars earlier this week.  Left winger Andrew Ladd (signed to replace Okposo) hasn’t panned out and with six more years left on his contract with a cap hit of $5.5MM, that’s a near-impossible contract to move right now while John Tavares heading into his walk year is something that will need to be addressed sooner than later as well.  Accordingly, the team will have to make a decision as to whether he’s the right manager to try to fix things up and get Tavares locked up.
  • The Devils haven’t thrown in the towel on trying to make the playoffs yet but if they do, they could be a team to watch for. Only two teams have more cap space than New Jersey does which sets up the possibility of them becoming a clearinghouse for contending teams to free up some cap space.  GM Ray Shero could be open to doing so, provided he picks up some quality draft picks and/or prospects for doing so.
  • Dallas has inquired about the availability of pending UFA goalie Ben Bishop. Bishop, who ranked fifth in our UFA Power Rankings this week, isn’t expected to return to Tampa Bay next season with Andrei Vasilevskiy expected to take over as the starter.  The Stars already have the highest goalie cap hit in the league but have not received much bang for their buck so far.  However, GM Steve Yzerman’s asking price is quite high as it’s certainly quite possible that the Lightning will want to keep him around for their postseason push as well.
  • Toronto’s recent success may make their decision regarding left winger James van Riemsdyk that much more difficult. Garrioch reports that the team is fielding inquiries on him but he is a key piece in the Leafs’ lineup and if they plan to make a run at a playoff spot, they’ll likely want to keep him in their lineup.  The 27 year old has one year left after this season at a manageable cap hit of $4.25MM so it’s not a typical rental player situation while it’s also worth noting that van Riemsdyk has a modified no-trade clause.

Trade Rumors: Coyotes Edition

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The Arizona Coyotes were not expected to compete this year, and with the team firmly entrenched in the league’s basement—with the Colorado Avalanche as roommates—the expected trade rumors begin to swirl. As is tradition, most basement-dwelling teams start trading pending free agents and veteran players for draft picks and prospects in an effort to stockpile for the future. And with forward-thinking GM John Chayka at the helm, Arizona should be aggressive at the deadline to take advantage of the available futures.

One name that comes up again and again is Coyotes captain Shane Doan. Doan trade rumors crop up every year, and this year is no different. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported last night that Doan may be open to waiving his NMC in the right situation. Doan, however, is the face of the franchise, and a valuable marketing tool for an organization in a non-traditional market. Nevertheless, according to Friedman, the franchise is interested in looking to see who the next team leader is, and that cannot happen as long as Doan remains. Obviously Doan would only waive his NMC for an advantageous situation both for himself and his familty, and that may limit Arizona’s trading partners to west coast teams. The desire to win a Stanley cup usually ends up trumping team legacy—just ask Jarome Iginla and Ray Bourque—but then players like Mats Sundin chose to stay pat. It is unclear what Doan does this month, but rest assured the trade rumors will heat up exponentially.

Another Coyote target is center Martin Hanzal. The Coyotes are all but guaranteed to move the impending free agent at the deadline. The question is where, and for how much? Hanzal has struggled so far this year, tallying only 9G and 6A in 36 games. His production may dampen the return Arizona receives, but a player like Hanzal is a hot commodity come trade deadline. Teams looking to make an extended post-season run want to add talented center depth. Andrew Ladd returned a prospect (Marko Dano) and a first and third round draft pick. Eric Staal returned a prospect (Aleksi Saarela) and two second round draft picks. Both had similar production and similar ages to Hanzal at the deadline last year. Where the Coyote ends up will depend on what prospects the team covets.

One interesting possibility is that the Coyotes dangle sophomore forward Anthony Duclair. Duclair was linked to trade rumors early in the season, and he could be the piece that sweetens the deal alongside Doan or Hanzal for a top-notch prospect. Duclair still struggles for the Coyotes, scoring only 3G and 6A in 39 games. He is still young enough that teams may take a flyer on him, and could lessen the blow of giving up a top prospect in return.

Coyotes Notes: Chychrun, Strome, Doan

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Making the jump from junior to the NHL as an 18 year old is generally a tough task for pretty much anyone.  Doing so as a defenseman is that much harder which is why it doesn’t happen all that often, especially for players picked outside the top five in the draft.  Arizona’s Jakob Chychrun, the 16th overall pick back in June, is one who has bucked this trend and is the youngest blueliner in the league this season, something that doesn’t seem to faze him, writes Jonas Siegel of the Canadian Press.  Part of the reason for that is that Chychrun doesn’t think of himself as a raw rookie:

“It’s cool and all, but I think I don’t really look at myself as a young kid.  I kind of approach the game just as a pro would and I feel I’m mature beyond my years.”

The Coyotes have eased the 18 year old, who is the third youngest player overall in the league (only forwards Jesse Puljujarvi and Patrik Laine are younger), into the league, primarily using him in a third pairing role.  Through 26 games this season, he has a goal and six assists while averaging 16:36 per night in ice time which is pretty good for an 18 year old rookie.  He told Siegel that he is pleased with his progress so far:

“I feel I’ve done well to this point and I want to continue to get better. It’s crazy to be thrown in at 18 years old, but it’s something you have to take in stride, enjoy it.”

Arizona has been happy enough with his progress so far that they did not loan him to Team Canada for the upcoming World Juniors.  (Although Chychrun was born in Boca Raton in Florida, he’s a dual citizen and has chosen to represent Canada internationally.)

More from the Coyotes:

  • One Arizona youngster who will be at the World Juniors is center Dylan Strome. The third overall pick in 2015 made the team out of training camp but played sparingly and eventually was sent back to junior.  He’ll captain the Canadian entry in the tournament and is looking forward to trying to make amends for last year, he told Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star.  “Being on the losing end of a tournament is not very fun. You feel like you’ve let your country down. You want to forget about it at as fast as possible, but it doesn’t go away very quickly. I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to make amends for what happened last year.”
  • Friday’s game against Toronto not only was a big night for Arizona native Auston Matthews, it was also a big one for one of the players he grew up idolizing in Coyotes captain Shane Doan. The 40 year old played in his 1,500th career NHL game, the 17th player in league history to do that.  Of those players, he’s only the sixth to do so with the same organization; Doan was originally drafted by Winnipeg in 1995 with them moving to Phoenix in 1996.  He also picked up his 400th career goal in the game, a 4-1 loss to the Leafs. Speaking with Sarah McLellan of the Arizona Republic, Doan is very appreciative of the fact he’s been able to play his whole career with the franchise: “Yeah, that’s something that I appreciate. Like I said, there’s a lot of guys that given the opportunity would be able to. But having been given the opportunity that I’ve been given, I’m very grateful the organization has been willing to keep letting me get a jersey and giving me a jersey every year.”

Friedman On The Post-Freeze Trade Market

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With the NHL’s Holiday Roster Freeze underway, there won’t be any big deals to announce in the coming days. No team is getting Kevin Shattenkirk for Christmas or Jason Zucker for Hanukkah. However, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Frieman is filling the down time with some ideas as to what may happen once the trade market re-opens in his “30 Thoughts”.

There have been deals made immediately following the Holiday Freeze in each of the past three seasons and the end of the freeze always kicks off an active two months of transactions leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline. Friedman warns though that the 2016-17 is a year like no other before. Friedman says “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a trade market as paralyzed as this one (due to) so little cap room, so many teams chasing the playoffs and the expansion draft looming.” The reason only minor deals have gone down over the first few months of the season is because no identifiable market has yet formed. With so few teams outside a reasonable shot at the postseason and front offices proceeding with caution in regards to the upcoming NHL Expansion Draft, the market is barren right now. Friedman, and all hockey fans, hope that some excitement is on the way, but he has his doubts that major moves are in the near future this season.

If one big piece does move, Friedman speculates it could be Toronto Maple Leafs winger James van Riemsdyk. Friedman explains that last year the power forward was completely off the table, but this year interested teams are being told that he could be available for the right price. It will definitely be a high price in the current seller’s market. The 27-year-old van Riemsdyk, who has one year remaining on his current contract, is a bona fide scorer and one of the best in the league at net front presence. He’s hit 30 goals once before, in 2013-14, and is on pace to do so again this season. If the rebuilding Leafs decide that they want more young talent or perhaps a top defenseman, van Riemsdyk could net them that return. Eric Staal was traded by the Carolina Hurricanes to the New York Rangers last season for two second-round picks and a top prospect, and he was in the final year of his contract. The Leafs will likely get more than that if they decide to move long-time leader van Riemsdyk.

One team that could be interested is the Pittsburgh Penguins. Although they are pressed for cap space, GM Jim Rutherford seemingly always finds a way to bring in the players he wants and remain salary cap compliant. As Friedman points out, it’s been unusually quiet for Rutherford and the Penguins so far, but with a chance to repeat as Stanley Cup champs, he believes they’ll make a move sooner rather than later. However, Friedman believes the target for Pittsburgh will be a defenseman. With Kris Letang currently injured and always an injury risk regardless, the Penguins may want some added depth. It will have to be a rental though, as Pittsburgh is already in a tough situation in regards to the looming expansion draft and four blue liners – Letang, Brian Dumoulin, Olli Maatta, and Derrick Pouliot – they would like to keep protected and an eye on re-signing Justin Schultz as well.

The Penguins’ biggest trade chip is goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. Despite his struggles in 2016-17, Fleury remains a valuable asset and Pittsburgh needs to move him before expansion to protect Matt Murray. Friedman believes the perfect partner would be the Dallas Stars, who continue to get uninspiring performances from the duo of Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi. Any trade would almost definitely require a one-for-one swap of goalis, and while both Stars keepers are signed to significant contracts through next season, the Penguins will take any deal they can get to ensure Murray’s protection and potentially open up some cap space.

Joining van Riemsdyk and Fleury as big names that have been floated around this season is Arizona Coyotes pending free agent Martin Hanzal. At this point, an extension seems unlikely and Hanzal is almost sure to be moved. Additionally, Friedman believes there could be a market for career Coyote Shane Doan and bounce-back goalie Mike Smith. At age 40, Doan is finally showing some wear and tear, as his numbers are way off the usual pace. If this is his final season, Doan has never been close to a Stanley Cup and deserves a shot. Teams would love to add the toughness and heart of the veteran forward. Meanwhile, Smith has been playing great of late and may be of interest to contenders as well. There is a strong chance that Arizona is leaning towards protecting young backup Louis Domingue over their starter in the expansion draft and may like to jettison Smith while his value is high. Don’t be surprised if Radim Vrbata becomes another name mentioned as heading out of Arizona.

Read up on all of Friedman’s thoughts on the trade market here and enjoy the Holiday Roster Freeze before your team inevitably makes a move or two in the new year.

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