Follow @james_tanner123 He is alive. Has Opposable thumbs. Fully functioning fine motor skills. Can skate.
This means he's already a great candidate for a spot on the Coyotes' back-end. Add in 3 straight 30 point seasons and the fact he's 30 (everyone on the team can't be 22 or less) and you have a winner.
A fifth round pick for exclusive negotiating rights. i.e a week to show him that Arizona is more than Wildfires and enthusiastic Trump fans.
He'll sign, too. Who else will overpay him and guarantee him a ton of minutes?
Then again, maybe a lot of teams - Goligoski is - along with Yandle - one of the two best defenseman available in free agency this year.
Here's what he brings to the table:
- He's a legit top pairing defenseman who would give the Coyotes two - count 'em - two top pairing left side defenseman. He would play behind OEL and give the Coyotes a solid defensive foundation for nearly 80% of the game.
- Considering the Coyote's second line left-defenseman this year (in terms of most ice-time) was Zbynek Michalek, this would be like upgrading from the Foo Fighters to the Pixies.
- Unlike Stone and Murphy (both of whom I expect to be traded) Goligoski makes everyone he skates with better, not worse. This would make him a welcome edition to the team.
- Goligoski moves the puck up the ice. He generates shots for and plays defense by keeping the puck away from the other team. He will allow some shots against, but he's a positive possession player who fits the exact profile of the kind of defenseman you would expect a team who hired a GM that's connection to the game comes from analytics.
A great move by the Coyotes, one that hopefully pays off by having Goligoski sign a contract with the team between now and the end of the month.
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Let's once again stop to enjoy the fact that a division rival just made the most bizarre and terrible coaching swap in NHL history. After being turned down by Barry Melrose, Mike Milbury, a Can of exploding peanut brittle, and a ghost, the Ducks turned to the hilarious incompetence of Randy Carlyle. Once they make an inevitable bad trade of Hampus Lindholm, the Coyotes will have one less team to worry about catching.
The Carolina Chicago trade this week was great news for Arizona who have a ton of cap space and (I believe) the notion to spend it.
If you can add Teravainen for one year of $4 million in cap space, the Coyotes could really take advantage of a stagnant cap and a bunch of teams desperate for room.
With Chicago having set the market at an insane price, this is nothing but good news for the Coyotes.