Did-a-Cham, Dum-a-Chum, my Friends,
As I sit here listening to classic Canadian rockers 54-40 (The Canadian REM?) and waiting for someone to bring me a coffee that I don't think is going to be delivered, I have some potentially good news to report.
Potentially good if you think that the Coyotes packing in the season and going for the old rebuild is a good thing.
Potentially bad if you believe some of the more dishonest and market-driven 'we could still make the Playoffs' stuff some people are selling you.
The word on the street - according to Pierre Lebrun - is that the Coyotes are "being very aggressive" in trying to make a trade.
Old Pierre - who came in at number three on my recent list of best Pierres - said that "they have a lot of players up for sale," and characterized them as the most current active team.
The player first to be moved, according to both Lebrun and my boy Darren Dreger, is Antoine Vermette. The price, Dreger said, would be a "good young prospect" and a roster player.
I can dig that. The best part about trading Vermette is that he is exactly the kind of guy people will think can help them in the playoffs and he can play both wing and centre. This means that multiple teams should be interested enough in him that the price is higher than you might think for a 32 year old pending UFA.
I like this a lot. Just the other there were reports about the Coyotes openly musing about signing him to an extension and - sweet Lord Jesus a coffee just showed up!! Hurray!! - lamenting the fact the ownership situation might prevent them from offering their faux numero uno a contract north of six big ones.
This is actually fantastic news. Call me an idiot if you will, but I think Antoine Vermette is massively overrated. I like him, but he's more Favreau than Vaughn - if you know what I'm saying.
So that is that. Let's get it done and embrace this rebuild. I for one can't wait to see how Max Domi and Connor MacDavid look passing the Stanley Cup to each other.
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