GLENDALE, Ariz – The NHL trade deadline is coming up on Monday. Given their prospects for making the playoffs this season, it seems a foregone conclusion that the Arizona Coyotes will be sellers in the anticipated frenzy of trades between now and then. The only questions that remain are:
- Who will stay?
- Who will go?
Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney has made it clear that Shane Doan is off the table. He has also said that everybody else is in play. While I would be amazed to see Mike Smith or Oliver Ekman-Larsson leave, I think the market is wide open for everybody else…if the price is right.
Mike Smith has had a tough year in Coyotes net – file photo by Lew2is Bleiman
The name that gets tossed around most is that of Antoine Vermette. This is nothing new. He has been mentioned in trade rumors the past two seasons. He will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season, so I think his days are numbered. He is a hot commodity; a strong center who can score goals and work the power play as well as play a strong defensive game and kill penalties. He is effective at both ends of the ice. He is the team’s second-leading scorer. Because of all of this, it is highly unlikely that the Coyotes will be able to afford the raise he will no doubt command after the season. Their most logical move is to trade him now while they can still get something back, rather than wait and lose him to free agency with no return.
Next on the UFA list is Zbynek Michalek. His case is a little more complicated. He is a very solid defensive defenseman and one of the best shot blockers in the game. Unfortunately, this has led to him missing significant time due to injury. In fact, he’s injured right now and unlikely to return to the lineup before Monday. Any value he might have to a contending team down the stretch might be mitigated by his current health status. This is likely to make teams leery of trading for him now. The Coyotes might have to accept a low return for him, unless they feel they have a good chance of re-signing him in the off-season. His advancing age and frequent injuries might lower his value on the open market, giving the Coyotes a chance to bring him back.
Next up is Martin Erat. After coming to the Coyotes in a deadline deal last season, Erat has been a disappointment. He was expected to bring an influx of offense, something the team has been sorely lacking. His numbers aren’t terrible, but they’re not particularly good. He got off to a slow start, then seemed to be heating up along with his linemate and countryman, Martin Hanzal. Unfortunately, Hanzal’s injury seems to have extinguished the spark that they had. Erat has been ineffective and many nights he’s 
been all but invisible. He may still have some value to a team who needs some scoring punch, if they can look past his last couple of seasons and hope that he returns to his 2011-12 form, when he had 58 points. Somebody might still be willing to take a chance on him, but the Coyotes may need to accept the fact that his value has diminished since they did the same thing last season. They will have to accept a loss, but it may be worth it to shed his salary.
The list drops off considerably after that. B.J. Crombeen and David Moss are UFAs, but neither are likely to attract much attention. Crombeen has been in and out of the lineup and has seen little ice time as a 4th line enforcer. It’s unlikely that teams will be looking to add a player like him to their roster at this point in the season. Moss is a solid two-way player, but most playoff-bound teams are looking for more offense than he brings to the table. He’s not really the kind of player teams covet for playoff depth.
Keith Yandle is likely to draw some attention, but at a much higher price. He is definitely a player that could help a playoff-bound team, but with another year left on his contract the Coyotes won’t feel any urgency to move him. Any team looking to acquire his services will have to give up a couple of high draft picks, and maybe a prospect or two.
Sam Gagner may also be available, if anybody’s interested. He hasn’t been as consistent as the Coyotes would have liked, but he has managed 30 points. When he’s been allowed to play on the wing (rather than at center) he’s proven himself to be quite effective. Freeing him from a centerman’s defensive responsibilities allows him to take advantage of his speed. This makes him a good forechecker and allows him to beat guys wide when he has a head of steam. He might generate some interest. Like Yandle, Gagner still has another year on his contract after this season. Because of that, the Coyotes won’t feel pressure to let him go unless a good deal comes along.
The rest of the team is probably either too young or too old to hold much value for a deadline deal. My guess is that Vermette and Erat will go, and Michalek and Yandle will stay. Gagner could go either way. It depends on how many teams need a boost in scoring and how desperate they are to acquire it. In any case, it should be an interesting weekend.
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