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Expect the Arizona Coyotes to Make More Trades

July 6, 2019, 2:26 PM ET [29 Comments]
James Tanner
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Despite years of jokes about the cap floor, the Arizona Coyotes are essentially maxed out right now.

According to capfriendly.com, the Arizona Coyotes are only $178, 000 below the Salary Cap max after trading for Phil Kessel and inexplicably extending the contract of Lawson Crouse (everyone who associates with the actual team loves this guy, for what it's worth, but his numbers are not good).

So what now?

The Coyotes have arguably the best goaltending 1-2 punch in the NHL with Raanta and Kuemper.

On defense nick Hjalmarsson remains the statistically best defensive player in the NHL, while OEL and Chychrun are both capable of putting up elite results.

Goligoski remains surprisingly effective, while Demers and Oesterle can both put up good advanced stats if the team does well. Overall, it's a way, way above average blueline.



The Coyotes might be the best overall group of bottom six forwards in the NHL - unfortunately this isn't soccer and that doesn't help you win in the NHL. It's great and all that they can dress a fantastic fourth line, but, even with Kessel and a rebound season from Keller, they are still way short of being a good scoring team.

The Coyotes - no matter what anyone says - are desperate for a #1 centre to push Schmaltz and Stepan down the lineup.

And there is only one way to get that: through a trade.

They are too maxed out to sign anyone good, and no one good is available anyways.

12 players on the Coyotes are 27 or older. There's a limited window where you can still count on Hjalmarsson, Goligoski, Kessel, Grabner and Stepan.

So a move must be made to take what is a decent roster and turn it into a great one.

GM John Chayka loves to trade, and he's very good at it. The Coyotes are going to need him to swing for the fences if they want to compete in 2019-20 (and all evidence says that they do).

For the next three years, the Coyotes have all their picks, save one third rounder. They've got movable contracts, depending on what would be coming back.

If the Coyotes were to put their next two first rounders in play they should be able to get the #1 centre they need.

How about three firsts, Nick Merkley and Derek Stepan to Tampa for Braydon Point? Maybe not, but that's the kind of thing they're going to have to try and pull off if they want to do more than just squeak into the playoffs.
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