Arizona Coyotes Spice Up Trade Market, Challenge Sabres

The Arizona Coyotes willingness to trade many players away from their roster is not a surprise.  One name missing from the short list of untouchables is stunning.

Arizona Coyotes general manager Don Maloney appears content to pursue a complete rebuild of his roster.  Given their place in the standings it’s a reasonable plan for the future.  But the possibility that one key player from the Yotes would not be a part of that future comes across as a shock and could drastically change other teams plans ahead of the March 2nd trade deadline.

Maloney on Friday made the following statement which should have fans of the Arizona Coyotes holding their collective breath and general managers of playoff teams drooling:

"“Shane Doan is not going anywhere. Oliver Ekman-Larsson is a player we would certainly be very very reluctant to part with,” Maloney said. (Puck Daddy)"

WHAT?!

So let me get this straight.  Your 38 year-old captain, whom has played his entire career with the Coyotes franchise, is going to stay rather than be moved for a chance at the Stanley Cup?  And Oliver Ekman-Larsson, a 23 year-old top pair defenseman with the ability to pile up points from the back-end, could be available?

The choice to stay in Arizona is a noble one for Doan and for the franchise at large.  He has made clear on several occasions that his wish to stay was less about the Stanley Cup and more about family.  TSN’s Mark Masters tweeted the following after speaking with Doan:

Which brings us back to Ekman-Larsson.  He is a young defenseman on a contract not that different from that of Tyler Myers, whom continues to find his name swirling in the trade winds.  The Coyotes standout is a big minute eater, a solid two-way player and immediately provides a spark to any offense.  What playoff team wouldn’t be interested in adding Ekman-Larsson, particularly when his cap hit of $5.5 million through 2018 is reasonable.

Live Feed

Oil On Whyte

More importantly, why wouldn’t the Coyotes want to keep him?  Maloney is dealing from a position of strength with his prized defensemen.  He could certainly get a king’s ransom for Ekman-Larsson, perhaps more than Myers would fetch in Buffalo.  He could also keep him and pick in the top five in the upcoming draft and build towards a strong core for years to come.   The mere idea that Ekman-Larsson is available could alter the Sabres expectations in any deal involving Myers.  Of course both defensemen could stay with their respective teams and all of this could wind up being nothing more than water cooler talk.

But Maloney with one quote has invited many phone calls inquiring about his talented defenseman.  While he will continue to field calls about Keith Yandle and Antoine Vermette, among others, those talks will certainly circle back to Ekman-Larsson.  Any assets acquired for his pending unrestricted free agents in addition to the potential bounty for Ekman-Larsson would speed up the rebuilding process for the Arizona Coyotes.  Now that he is available – for the right and very high price – how does this impact the potential deals Sabres GM Tim Murray and Hurricanes GM Ron Francis may strike for Tyler Myers and Andrej Sekera?

More from Puck Prose

• Detroit Red Wings 2023 Rookie Camp Has Plenty of Ups and Downs
• This Columbus Blue Jackets rookie doesn’t want to be forgotten
• 2 trades the Boston Bruins must make to secure the Stanley Cup
• 3 reasons the Avalanche won’t win the Stanley Cup in 2024
• This is a big year for Alex Turcotte and the Los Angeles Kings

As the NHL trade deadline approaches the law of supply and demand will take over.  As more quality defensemen become available it seems possible none of them could be moved because the price would be driven down due to the number of options.  Of course neither Maloney nor Murray have actually said they will trade any particular player.  Which means there will be plenty of GM’s kicking tires on defensemen that can not only provide depth and spark for the playoffs this year but possibly beyond.  And how much will the questions about the salary cap play into such potential trades involving players with such length of term left on their contracts?

Buckle up.  This will be a fun and very wild month of trade rumors.  And the Arizona Coyotes made them much more interesting.