Everyone knows that the Arizona Coyotes are the team with the most players for sale. For weeks we have been hearing about how they are likely to be the NHL's most active team at the trade deadline this year.
Things, however, may have taken a dramatic turn yesterday when Don Maloney told TSN radio in Ottawa that the only untouchable on his team was Shane Doan.
Now, I'll get into how ridiculous that is at another time, but the main take away from that: HOLY S%&%* did he just say he would trade Oliver Ekman-Larsson?
I am certain anyone reading this already knows, but OEL is 23 and one of the best defensemen in the NHL. He stands an excellent chance of eventually being the best defensemen in the NHL and one day having his name mentioned alongside Mats Sundin and Niklas Lindstrom as one of the best Swedish hockey players of all-time.
Teams search their entire existence for players like Ekman-Larsson.
So why would Maloney say (even in a roundabout way) that he could be had?
Let's look at the exact quote:
"Where we're at, we have to look at everybody and everything.There's nobody we wouldn't talk about in a deal. … Shane Doan isn't going anywhere. Oliver Ekman-Larsson we would be very reluctant to part with."
"When you're sitting with our record, then everybody is up for grabs."
So what's this mean?
Allow me to translate: OEL is not going anywhere. That is, unless Buffalo or Edmonton wants to throw the Coyotes their top pick.
That's it. The entire hockey world might go insane over the apparent availability of Oliver Ekman-Larsson, but I believe Don Maloney wants only one thing: Connor McDavid.
Regardless, were I one of the other 29 NHL GMS (as I will someday be) I would call up old Maloney and tell him everything on my roster is available as well and to make himself up a buffet plate he would take as a package for Ekman-Larsson.
Because OEL is that good. He's a guy you can build your entire team around. Don Maloney knows it, and he isn't going to trade him.
Unless the Oilers or Sabres call him up and offer their pick.
My theory: He'd be perfectly happy to build his team around OEL, Domi and whoever he drafts this year, but he'd also like to make Arizona THE talk of the NHL like no team ever has been since maybe that time the Canucks drafted the Sedins - he wants to try to draft McDavid and Eichal (and only duds combine them into the one word monstrosity McEichal: this is the NHL and people shouldn't talk like duds).
Anyways, it's shaping up to be a hilariously fun trade deadline.
Today, the Coyotes will play the Sens at 3pm eastern, which gives me just enough time to finish this blog and the album I'm listening to and then watch
Taken.
I too have a particular set of skills.
Thanks for reading.
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