Edmonton Oilers Acquire Nick Bjugstad
3:15 pm: The details of the trade have been confirmed by the Coyotes, making the transaction official.
2:35 pm: The Edmonton Oilers have added another player to the mix for their playoff run, acquiring Nick Bjugstad from the Arizona Coyotes, according to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. The Coyotes will receive a 2023 third-round pick and Michael Kesselring, while retaining 50% of Bjugstad’s contract. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman also reports that defenseman Cam Dineen is heading to Edmonton in the deal, and he’ll report to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors.
Bjugstad, 30, has never quite lived up to the high expectations from his early career in Florida, but has played at a relatively high level for the Coyotes this season. With more regular ice time, some of his offensive production has returned, and he brings size, physicality, and versatility to the Oilers bottom six.
Standing 6’6″ and more than willing to use his frame to lean on defenders, Bjugstad has scored 13 goals and 23 points in 59 games this season. He won’t be expected to do a ton of scoring in Edmonton, but for $450K in cap space, he’s well worth a mid-round pick.
The Oilers are all-in, trying to surround Connor McDavid with enough firepower to win the Stanley Cup. Mattias Ekholm‘s addition to the blueline already paid dividends last night, and now Bjugstad can bring a little more punch down the middle. A third-round selection is meaningless to a team like this, other than its value in trade.
For Arizona, though, completing another short-term salary retention to squeeze a draft pick out of Edmonton is good work. The team is up to 22 picks in the top three rounds of the next three drafts, and—if managed properly—could turn that into quite the pile of young talent.
Interestingly enough, as CapFriendly points out, the Oilers had exactly enough cap space to pull off this trade after getting the Nashville Predators to retain salary on Ekholm yesterday. A lot of eyebrows raised when the Predators only held onto 4% of the total, but it ended up being exactly what general manager Ken Holland needed to bring in Bjugstad.
Arizona Coyotes Acquire Jakub Voracek
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.
Arizona Coyotes Recall Vladislav Koyachonok
It’s been quite the day for major NHL transactions, with eight completed trades (at the time of writing) and one maximum-term extension for the captain of an original six franchise. With all the craziness that has transpired today, some minor moves have snuck under the radar. We’ll keep track of all of those moves here.
- The Arizona Coyotes have recalled defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok from their AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners. He fills the vacated spot on their roster left by today’s trade of Shayne Gostisbehere to the Carolina Hurricanes. The 21-year-old native of Belarus has played in 54 games for the Roadrunners this season, often as a top-four defenseman. He’s a 2019 second-round pick who got his first taste of NHL action last year, when he played in 32 games in Arizona, scoring three points. He’s a quick, aggressive defenseman who will get a chance to put some quality games on tape as he looks to establish himself as a full-time NHLer.
- Forward Ben Meyers and defenseman Brad Hunt have been recalled from the AHL’s Colorado Eagles to their NHL affiliate, the Colorado Avalanche. Hunt will be paired with Jack Johnson on coach Jared Bednar’s bottom-pairing, while Meyers will likely be a healthy scratch, according to a team release relayed by The Athletic’s Peter Baugh. Meyers, a top college free agent signing last spring, has scored just one point in 32 NHL games this season (he has nine points in 17 AHL games) while Hunt, 34, has six points in 32 games this season and 21 points in 24 games at the AHL level.
- In the wake of the team’s stunning acquisition of legendary goaltender Jonathan Quick last night, the Blue Jackets have loaned netminder Jet Greaves to their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters. The 21-year-old departs Columbus’ roster without having yet played in an NHL game. He’s an undrafted OHL product who split last season between AHL Cleveland and the ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings and has started 29 games for the Monsters this year.
- The Dallas Stars have placed veteran forward Luke Glendening on injured reserve, retroactive to February 17th. In addition, the Stars called up forwards Frederik Olofsson and Fredrik Karlstrom, as well as netminder Matt Murray. Both Olofsson and Karlstrom have been shuffled from the AHL’s Texas Stars to Dallas quite a few times in recent weeks, while the 25-year-old Murray is still seeking his first NHL game.
- In the shadow of their two parent organizations’ far more major trade, the AHL affiliates of the New York Rangers and Chicago Blackhawks (the Hartford Wolf Pack and Rockford IceHogs, respectively) have made an AHL trade. Hartford has acquired Adam Clendening, who played 31 games for the Rangers in 2016-17, in exchange for Zach Jordan. In 48 games for Rockford this year Clendening has played in a top-four role and scored 24 points. Meanwhile, Jordan, 26, has spent most of the year in the ECHL save for one game spent with the Wolf Pack.
- The Wolf Pack made another trade, sending forward Alex Whelan to AHL Cleveland. The 25-year-old turned pro in 2020-21 after a solid four-year collegiate career at Quinnipiac. He played full-time last season for Hartford, scoring 16 points in 62 games, but has spent time in the ECHL this season. He’ll get a fresh start in Cleveland and help the Monsters deal with the significant injury disruptions they have faced this season.
- Point-per-game SHL defenseman Theodor Lennstrom is leaving Sweden for next season. Per a team announcement, Switzerland’s HC Geneve-Servette has signed Lennstrom to a two-year deal, running through the 2024-25 season. Lennstrom has played the last two seasons for Farjestad BK, scoring 14 points in 19 playoff games last season on their run to an SHL Championship victory. Lennstrom also won the Champions Hockey League with Frolunda in 2019-20 and will hope to add to his trophy cabinet in the Swiss league.
- Ludvig Larsson is set to leave Rogle for Orebro, according to a report from SportExpressen. The former Pennsylvania State Bulldog and Binghamton Devil has scored 15 goals and 26 points this season for Rogle, and has proved himself to be a quality winger in the SHL. Now 27 years old, he’ll head to Orebro, the club of Leo Carlsson, a player projected to go near the top of the 2023 NHL draft.
- With Anaheim Ducks prospect Calle Clang set to cross the Atlantic for next season, Rogle are finalizing negotiations to find a new goaltender. Per a report from SportExpressen’s Johan Svensson, they are set to bring in 2017 Colorado Avalanche fourth-rounder Petr Kvaca, an accomplished three-year starter in the Czech league. Kvaca was named the Czech Extraliga’s best netminder in 2020-21, when he posted a .924 save percentage in 41 games. He has a .925 in 41 games this season, and is a promising investment for a Rogle team looking to return to the top end of the SHL standings.
- Philipp Lindner, an everyday defenseman and alternate captain for Austrian club Villacher SV, has tacked on two years to his contract with the ICEHL team, bringing its expiration date to the end of the 2025-26 season. The 27-year-old is a veteran of nearly 350 games in Austria’s top league, a competition that includes clubs from multiple Central European countries, and has scored 24 points in 42 games this season.
- Now an established regular contributor in the Czech Extraliga, 21-year-old David Vitouch has earned a two-year extension with his club, HC Sparta Praha. Despite his relatively young age he already has over 150 games of experience in Czechia’s top pro league, and has scored 12 points in 50 games this season.
Ottawa Senators Acquire Jakob Chychrun
One of the longest-running trade sagas in recent NHL history has finally reached its conclusion. The Ottawa Senators have acquired defenseman Jakob Chychrun from the Arizona Coyotes, per a team announcement. In exchange for the star defenseman, the Coyotes are receiving a 2023 first-round pick, a conditional 2024 second-round pick (originally acquired from the Washington Capitals) and a 2026 second-rounder.
There are some conditions in this deal to untangle. The 2023 first-rounder is top-five protected, meaning if the pick lands inside the top-five of the draft, it becomes an unprotected 2024 first-rounder. Additionally, if the Senators reach the 2023 Eastern Conference Final, the 2024 second-rounder (via WSH) becomes Ottawa’s 2024 first-rounder, top-10 protected. If that first-rounder ends up being inside the top-10 in that scenario, then the pick becomes a 2025 unprotected first-round pick.
Senators general manager Pierre Dorion had the following to say on the deal:
A defenceman we’ve coveted, Jakob is big and plays imposing. He possesses a quality skill set; he defends hard and is highly skilled. He uses his heavy shot with accuracy and is effective at creating offence as a threat at the offensive blue line.
At first glance, this looks like an extremely palatable price for the Senators to pay to acquire a top-pairing defenseman. Mattias Ekholm was recently traded for a first-rounder and a prospect recently drafted in the first round, while the Coyotes only managed to pry away one first-round pick in exchange for Chychrun. But as more and more contending teams interested in acquiring defensemen opted for other options (such as the Los Angeles Kings, who acquired Vladislav Gavrikov last night, or the Oilers, who got Ekholm) the market may have begun to shift into one more favorable to a buyer.
For the Coyotes, it’s a tough pill to swallow after over a year of anticipation for this trade. Chychrun is the team’s best defenseman and a legitimate top-pairing force on a bargain $4.6MM AAV deal through 2024-25.
Getting just one guaranteed first-rounder and two second-rounders, including one all the way in 2026, is a bit underwhelming, especially when one considers the fact that earlier today Filip Hronek returned a first-rounder and a second-rounder for this year’s draft.
The fact that just recently Nashville Predators grinder Tanner Jeannot cost the Tampa Bay Lightning a package of a player and five draft picks, including a first and second-rounder can’t make things easier for Coyotes fans as well.
The main redeeming element of this trade for the Coyotes is the upside this 2023 first-rounder has. With the Senators currently on the outside of the playoff picture in an Eastern Conference loaded with contending teams, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the Senators stumble and send Arizona a pick inside the top ten. If that ends up happening, then this price isn’t totally out of line with what the Senators paid for Alex DeBrincat last summer. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman also notes that the Coyotes placed value in the fact that Ottawa didn’t require them to take any money back as part of this deal, which is a relatively rare sight in today’s flat-cap world.
While this return might be a bit disappointing for the Coyotes, it remains a valuable contribution to the war chest of draft picks they have stockpiled in recent years. They currently have the rights to four second-round picks in both the 2024 and 2025 drafts, and will have the chance to make two high picks in what is considered an extremely talented 2023 draft. So although after such a long wait this return will undoubtedly feel underwhelming, it does inch the team a little closer to their goal of loading up their organization with an army of talented young players.
For the Senators, this trade accomplishes the team’s long-held goal of upgrading their defense, and at a relatively affordable price to boot. Dorion surrendered the same amount of first-round draft picks to acquire Chychrun (a better defenseman with extra years of affordable team control) as the Panthers surrendered to acquire Ben Chiarot at last year’s deadline. While Chychrun hasn’t played in quite a while, held out for trade-related reasons, he has a healthy 28 points in 36 games this season.
Chychrun scored 18 goals and 41 points in just 56 games during the 2020-21 season, flashing number-one defenseman ability. While his struggles to stay healthy since that point have cost him the chance to truly establish himself among the league’s elite defenseman, he’s a mid-twenties, team-controlled two-way blueliner who can capably handle 23-plus minutes a night. There’s not a team in the NHL that wouldn’t benefit from adding a defenseman like him.
With Chychrun now in the mix alongside Thomas Chabot, Artem Zub, and Jake Sanderson, the Senators now have a formidable group of top-four defensemen. While it definitely hurts to give up a possible top-ten pick, it’s clear that the Senators’ rebuild is meant to be over, and that finally returning to the playoffs is the goal. While it may not happen this season, this addition of Chychrun gives the Senators quite a boost as they look to make noise in a crowded Atlantic Division for next year.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Carolina Hurricanes Acquire Shayne Gostisbehere
The Carolina Hurricanes, not to be outdone by their Eastern Conference counterparts, have added another player for their upcoming playoff run. Shayne Gostisbehere has been acquired from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for a third-round pick in 2026.
The Coyotes did not retain any of Gostisbehere’s $4.5MM contract.
If there is one thing the Hurricanes were having trouble with this season, it’s the powerplay. Their team is so well-rounded that they have lost just 11 games in regulation, but with the man advantage, they rank 23rd at just 19.37%. That’s only barely ahead of the Coyotes, a team that is generally considered to have some of the worst offensive skill in the league.
What’s the difference? Well, Gostisbehere, for one. The 29-year-old defenseman has always been a wizard at the top of a powerplay umbrella, slinging passes around and using a hard shot to create havoc in front of the net. To this point, 135 of his 301 career points have been a man-up, though just ten of those have come this season, as he has ceded time to Jakob Chychrun and others.
Still, the Hurricanes have used players like Gostisbehere very effectively in years past. Tony DeAngelo, for instance, put up 51 points in 64 games with the club last season before they cut him loose.
This is a masterclass in asset management and weaponizing cap space by Arizona, who acquired Gostisbehere in 2021, adding a second-round pick and seventh-round pick to take his contract off the books of the Philadelphia Flyers. He played good hockey for the Coyotes, was paid very little on a front-loaded contract, and then was flipped for another significant draft pick.
While the Coyotes will still have to prove they can hit on those picks, develop them and build a competitive team, this is about as good as it gets for a rebuilding club.
Coyotes Scratch Nick Bjugstad, Recall Laurent Dauphin
The Coyotes announced (Twitter link) that they’ve scratched center Nick Bjugstad tonight for trade-related reasons, joining defenseman Jakob Chychrun on that front. Taking Bjugstad’s place on the roster will be center Laurent Dauphin who has been recalled from AHL Tucson.
Bjugstad opted to sign a one-year, $900K contract with Arizona last summer in the hopes of playing a regular role and rebuilding some value after three straight quiet, injury-riddled seasons. The move has turned out to be a good one for the 30-year-old who has posted 13 goals and 10 assists so far in 59 games while winning just over 47% of his faceoffs. He also is averaging two hits per game. With a low price tag, Bjugstad is the type of fourth liner that teams will certainly be looking to add to shore up their depth between now and Friday’s trade deadline and the Coyotes are making sure he’ll be available to be traded over risking him getting injured in tonight’s game against Chicago.
That decision gives Dauphin his third opportunity with the Coyotes this season. The 27-year-old signed a one-year, two-way deal with Arizona in the summer but has only gotten into three NHL contests so far after suiting up in 38 with Montreal in 2021-22. However, Dauphin has been productive in the minors with the Roadrunners, tallying 16 goals along with 25 assists in 48 games so far.
New York Rangers Acquire Patrick Kane
Though it has been evident for a while that Chicago Blackhawks legend Patrick Kane would be joining the New York Rangers, what wasn’t so clear is the price they would be forced to pay for him. That price is now known as the trade has been finalized with Kane and defenseman Cooper Zech heading to the Rangers as part of a three-team trade that also involves Arizona. Chicago receives a 2023 conditional second-round pick and a fourth-round pick along with defenseman Andy Welinski from New York along with the rights to blueliner Vili Saarijarvi from Arizona while the Coyotes receive a 2025 third-round pick from the Rangers for brokering the deal by retaining 25% of Kane’s contract after Chicago held back the maximum 50% of his $10.5MM AAV.
The 2023 second-rounder can become a first-round selection if the Rangers make it to the Conference Finals. It would then be conveyed in either 2024 (top-10 protected) or 2025. The third-rounder going to Arizona will either be the Rangers’ own pick or the better of theirs and Dallas’ if defenseman Nils Lundkvist has 55 points combined this season and next which would transfer the Stars’ 2025 selection to New York.
Just as it played out with Claude Giroux last season, a franchise icon with full no-movement protection essentially dictated his destination, resulting in an underwhelming return. The Blackhawks were not able to land a guaranteed first-round pick in the deal, but will send Kane to his preferred team and still recoup some value.
When it became clear that the Blackhawks were tearing it down to rebuild through the draft, it made little sense for them to re-sign Kane in the offseason. If he was going to leave anyway, getting a second (or first) before he walked out the door only helps the efforts of general manager Kyle Davidson. Kane wasn’t forced out the door, but will now get another chance at the Stanley Cup this season with a loaded Rangers club.
After New York acquired Vladimir Tarasenko earlier this month, it appeared they were out of the running for Kane. They had a tight cap situation and had made their significant acquisition. Even Kane seemed to know he wouldn’t be headed to New York, telling reporters that it seemed like they had “filled their void” with the deal.
But now, with the help of some creative cap gymnastics, the Rangers have made enough room to land both star wingers, giving them a forward group that looks like an All-Star roster.
He also leaves Chicago with a legacy that will be hard to beat. While Kane sits second on the all-time Blackhawks scoring list, many will remember him as the most talented player in franchise history. His 1,225 regular season points came in just 1,161 games, numbers that will have him in the Hall of Fame one day.
Now 34, Kane will be an unrestricted free agent this summer unless he signs an extension with the Rangers. That certainly seems possible, though it will be difficult for New York to fit everyone in, giving some raises they own to some other players. For now, the focus will be on winning the Stanley Cup after loading up as much as they can.
Should they reach the third round, and fork over a first-rounder to Chicago, the Blackhawks would then own seven first-round selections over the next three years. After picking three players at the top of the 2022 draft, their system will quickly be loaded with talent that can mature together. Perhaps they’ll find the next star in that bunch, but simple probability suggests they won’t find another Kane.
Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli was the first to report the draft picks while ESPN’s Emily Kaplan was the first to report the conditional element on the second-rounder. PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan was the first with the return for Arizona’s involvement.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Several Teams Still In Chychrun Chase
According to Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets, the NHL sent out a memo this morning to teams explaining that they would “closely scrutinize” any trades of injured players with the express intent of keeping them on long-term injured reserve until the playoffs. Gustav Nyquist is a perfect example of this kind of trade chip, as he is not expected back in the regular season.
Scrutiny is one thing, but it’s hard to believe that the league would put a complete stop to these moves. In 2021, the Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Riley Nash, knowing he wouldn’t be ready before the playoffs, only to activate him for game one. It might mean a closer look at situations like Adam Henrique, as the Anaheim Ducks forward is not expected to miss the rest of the season, but is still on the shelf for another few weeks. Any acquiring team would likely be expected to activate him (and have the room to do so) well ahead of the playoffs, instead of waiting for the salary cap to disappear on day one of the postseason.
- More smoke is rising from the Arizona Coyotes, who have one of the biggest trade chips in Jakob Chychrun sitting in the press box. Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports that the Los Angeles Kings, Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Edmonton Oilers are all pursuing the Coyotes defender. Chychrun hasn’t played since February 10 as he awaits his new destination.
- Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet points out that the New York Rangers don’t actually have to wait until tomorrow to acquire Patrick Kane, only past today’s salary cap threshold. The cap is calculated on the active roster at 4pm CT every day, meaning the Rangers could land Kane a few minutes later and have him applied to Wednesday’s number instead. All signs continue to point to Kane joining the Rangers this week, potentially even in time to take on the Philadelphia Flyers tomorrow night.
West Notes: Karlsson, Chychrun, McDonough
With Timo Meier already out the door, many have wondered if even more big changes will be coming to the San Jose Sharks before Friday’s trade deadline. More specifically, many have wondered if two-time Norris Trophy winner and leading defensive scorer Erik Karlsson could be traded. According to Karlsson himself, it doesn’t seem like that’s going to be a possibility. In speaking to The Athletic’s Corey Masisiak, Karlsson said “it would be weird” if Sharks GM Mike Grier asked him to waive his no-trade clause just a few days before the deadline, indicating that it would be a complete shock at this point if he were dealt in the next few days.
While the 32-year-old has had a vintage season (he’s on pace to score 105 points) Karlsson’s $11.5MM cap hit through the 2026-27 season has seemingly presented a significant obstacle toward finding an agreeable trade. The Edmonton Oilers have been widely rumored as having had interest in acquiring Karlsson, only for any trade talks to stall once the issue of retained salary came under the microscope. Despite his stellar play, it could be the Sharks’ reported unwillingness to retain a major chunk of Karlsson’s average annual salary (more than $1-2MM per year) that has thrown a wrench in any blockbuster mid-season deal happening.
- With Karlsson seemingly off the market, the top defenseman on the market before Friday’s deadline is widely considered to be Arizona Coyotes blueliner Jakob Chychrun. The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta issued an update on Chychrun’s status, tweeting that trade “talk has picked up,” although no trade is expected to be imminent. He also adds that the Washington Capitals, Los Angeles Kings, and Carolina Hurricanes are “three of the teams very much in the mix” to acquire Chychrun.
- Northeastern University captain Aidan McDonough has had a strong senior season for the Huskies, scoring 36 points in 31 games, and is nearing a significant decision regarding his professional career. He’ll have the ability to choose his pro destination this summer and could potentially sign with a different team besides the Vancouver Canucks, the club that selected him 195th overall at the 2019 draft. Per CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal, McDonough “is still very open to signing in VAN,” and his ultimate decision is “not far away.” It’s likely that quite a few teams would be interested in adding McDonough, so should Vancouver get him it would be a quality addition to their prospect system.
Trade Deadline Primer: Arizona Coyotes
The trade deadline looms and is now less than a week away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Arizona Coyotes.
After a disastrous-by-design campaign that saw the Arizona Coyotes finish 25-50-7, the only expectation entering this year was to be in contention for the No. 1 overall pick. But just like last season when Arizona failed to fail enough, landing the No. 3 overall pick, the Coyotes find themselves toward the back of the line again this season, although maybe not as far back as they would prefer.
The Coyotes’ improved record has been the result of some unexpectedly strong play, including a 10-game point streak once the calendar flipped to 2023. With multiple players sitting on the trade block, the Coyotes are poised to add more young players and draft selections as March 3 approaches.
Record
20-29-9, 7th in the Central
Deadline status
Seller
Deadline Cap space
70,653,619MM, 1/3 retention slots used, 44/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.
Upcoming draft picks
2023: ARI 1st, ARI 2nd, WAS 3rd, ARI 3rd, ARI 4th, ARI 5th, VGK 5th, ARI 6th,
2024: ARI 1st, ARI 2nd, FLA 2nd, MTL 2nd, ARI 3rd, COL 3rd, EDM 3rd, ARI 4th, SJS 4th, ARI 5th, ARI 6th, ARI 7th, BOS 7th
Trade chips
The Coyotes are in a strong position of being able to utilize both players on their roster and their abundance of cap space to make deals for futures. Taking on inflated contracts from other teams in exchange for draft picks is something Arizona has done in recent years and they could take on a rather sizable contract for a high draft pick as teams get pinched by their cap situations. The Coyotes are willing to take on a player, knowing they won’t suit up for the franchise. That willingness has allowed them to take advantage of teams in salary cap crunches in exchange for draft picks.
Jakob Chychrun has had his name in trade talks for over a year. Due to the term on his deal, the Coyotes have held onto him, awaiting the right offer. With two years remaining on his contract at a cap hit of 4.6MM, Chychrun could be counted on to provide quality two-way play for the foreseeable future for a contending team. He is only two years removed from potting 18 goals in 56 games, but has just 14 in the past 83 games.
A contender would offer more talent to be on the receiving end of Chychrun’s breakout passes, and his offensive output could see an uptick once he is dealt. An interesting player, Chychrun’s value on a new team could depend on who else is on that team’s blue line. He could serve as a No. 1 option for a club looking to add depth at the very top of their blue line, or he could be a dangerous secondary option.
The beneficiary of an abundance of ice time in Arizona, Shayne Gostisbehere was acquired for essentially nothing from the Philadelphia Flyers a few seasons ago. He posted 51 points (14G, 37A) in 82 games last season, his highest output since 65 points with the Flyers in 2017-18. He has 29 points in 50 games this season and will be a UFA this summer.
Assuming his play doesn’t level off with a change of scenery, Gostisbehere will provide a spark as a puck-moving, offensive-minded rearguard to any team with Cup aspirations. He is the classic deadline rental type of player who could see his free agent prospects rise with a strong showing on a team making a deep playoff run.
Another player likely to be moved at some point is forward Nick Schmaltz. Schmaltz has term left on his deal, meaning the Coyotes could hold onto him into the summer or ask a higher price for at the deadline. With a cap hit of 5.8MM for three more seasons, an acquiring team could pencil him in for a few more years as a top-six option at forward.
Schmaltz had his strongest offensive performance last season, with 23 goals and 36 assists for 59 points in 63 games. With 39 points in 43 games, Schmaltz has elevated his play to point-per-game status.
The Coyotes should be looking to unload anything that isn’t bolted down as they rebuild their organization from the ground up. Moving even fringe pieces for draft picks or young players will only add to the Coyotes’ coffers.
Other potential trade chips: Nick Bjugstad, Travis Boyd, Christian Fischer, Zack Kassian
Team Needs
The short answer here is the Coyotes need anything and everything. The more high draft picks and young players the Coyotes can gather, the more likely they will find their way out of the wilderness of rebuilding.
With three first-round picks made by the Coyotes last year and a chance to add additional picks in the first three rounds this year, the Coyotes will end up making more draft selections than most teams would in just a two-year span, as well as holding four picks in the top two rounds in 2024.
The Coyotes are aiming to have a competitive team by the time their new arena opens, which is set to be voted on by the City of Tempe, Arizona, on May 16. The new arena is not a guarantee, but Arizona could potentially have a team driven by a talented young core by that point.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images