Arizona Coyotes Trade Rumors: Goalie Options

Arizona Coyotes Trade Rumors: Replacing Mike Smith in Goal

Arizona Coyotes trade rumors are gaining steam after GM Don Maloney told Arizona Republic’s Sarah McLellan that he’s identified up to nine teams with available goaltenders, news via Sportsnet. This comes after Arizona lost starter Mike Smith to long-term injury.

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Smith had surgery to repair a core muscle injury, and is expected to miss the next eight to 10 weeks. Backup Anders Lindback will continue to see the majority of minutes in the crease until/if a suitable replacement can be found. Prospect Louis Domingue will backup Lindback, although Arizona’s goalie depth is very thin. Unlike teams such as Colorado or Pittsburgh, with Calvin Pickard or Matt Murray having future starter aspirations, Domingue will be lucky to make a career as a backup goaltender.

The Coyotes GM made note he’d be comfortable moving forward with the current goalie situation, if the pair can carry the load well enough to keep them in the tight Pacific playoff-race.

Maloney spoke about the possibility of exploring other options (if necessary):

“We are looking. If there’s a way to get a top-end goaltender that’s a long-term value to the franchise, we’re willing to pay up an asset for that. What I’m not going to do is pay a good asset for the next three months. I’m not going to do that,” Maloney told the outlet. “You can’t have success without strong goaltending.“This, to me, is not a panic situation where we absolutely are in dire need [and] we’ll take anybody that comes along and pay a huge price for it,” Maloney said.“We’re going to just take our time. We feel good about Anders. Louis [Domingue, 23] is right at the age now where he can play some games. If they don’t get the job done, then we’ll find somebody else.”

via Sportsnet,

The Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs would no doubt be willing to part with a goalie for the right price, while the Edmonton Oilers (Ben Scrivens) and Anaheim Ducks (Anton Khudobin) are paying millions to goalies currently down in the American Hockey League.

Arizona Coyotes Trade Rumors: Ranking Top 10 Potential Targets in Goal

Honorable Mentions:

Calvin Pickard, Colorado Avalanche

His limited NHL sample size is promising, but he’s not considered one of the premier goalie prospects. There’s starter potential here though.

Dec 15, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen (32) makes a save on a Columbus Blue Jackets shot during the third period at the American Airlines Center. The Stars defeat the Blue Jackets 5-1. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Kari Lehtonen, Dallas Stars

Too much of an injury-risk for his lucrative $5.9 million dollar cap hit. Even if Arizona had interest, who knows whether he’d waive his no-trade clause for the desert.

Ben Scrivens, Edmonton Oilers

Perhaps it’s unfair to judge him based on chunks of time played with Toronto and Edmonton. He played decent in Los Angeles, he’s not an upgrade on Anders Lindback though. How often do we even see divisional trades?

Carter Hutton, Nashville Predators

There’s a possibility here, but, Hutton was a late bloomer. He’s now in his early 30s, and is a slight upgrade on Lindback.

Troy Grosenick, San Jose Sharks

Sitting third on the Sharks depth chart. Grosenick had a solid AHL season in 2014-15, and looked impressive with San Jose during the preseason. Divisional trades are uncommon, not impossible though.

Brian Elliott, St.Louis Blues

There’s no guarantee St.Louis parts ways with him. It’s been a bad year for Elliott in 2015-16, and perhaps a change of scenery can help rejuvenate his game.

Top 10 Targets:

10. Matt O’Connor, Ottawa Senators

Opened the season as backup to Craig Anderson after Andrew Hammond went down with injury. O’Connor was one of the nation’s top college goalies in 2014-15 with Boston University. If Hammond isn’t available, Matt O’Connor makes for a decent consolation prize.

9. Jonathan Bernier, Toronto Maple Leafs

There’s never been question with his talent level. The pressure of the market, that is Toronto, seems to be too much for some players to handle. Arizona is the perfect place for a goalie struggling with confidence.

8. Ondrej Pavelec, Winnipeg Jets

Currently injured, Pavelec isn’t expected back until some time in January. The sample size may take a month for GM Don Maloney to make a proper assessment on his goaltending. At that point, Pavelec could make for a relatively cheap fix.

Dec 1, 2015; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens goalie Zachary Fucale (30) before the game against Columbus Blue Jackets at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports

7. Zachary Fucale, Montreal Canadiens

Carolina, showed rumored interest in Fucale in a potential Eric Staal deal. He’s one of the premier goalie prospects in the NHL, and is a perfect fit with a young Arizona Coyotes squad.

6. Matt Murray, Pittsburgh Penguins

Recently called up for the first time after Marc-Andre Fleury went down with injury. Murray has dominated the AHL as the top goaltender over the past 14 months. He posted mind-boggling statistics in 2014-15, and remains one of the best goalies without NHL experience.

5. Malcolm Subban, Boston Bruins

The younger brother of P.K. has limited NHL experience. He’s an extremely talented goaltender playing for AHL’s Providence Bruins. His numbers are down from his 2014-15 totals, but he’s still regarded as a top-notch goaltending prospect.

4. Darcy Kuemper, Minnesota Wild

Minnesota has depth in net, with holes up front, making Kuemper expendable. He’s shown he can carry the load for stretches of time. For the likely asking price to acquire him, the value alone makes Kuemper a top target.

Dec 8, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Capitals right wing Justin Williams (14) scores a goal on Detroit Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard (35) in the first period at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

3. Jimmy Howard, Detroit Red Wings

It’s unclear whether Detroit has interest in breaking up their tandem of Petr Mrazek and Jimmy Howard. Mrazek is looking for a pay raise next summer, and Howard’s $5.29 million dollar cap hit may be too rich for the Red Wings with a cap not expected to raise much.

2. Frederik Andersen, Anaheim Ducks

Some fans and experts knew it was only a matter of time before John Gibson would take control of Anaheim’s crease. Andersen has received the least amount of goal support in 2015-16, but has actually played well. His tenure with Anaheim has proven solid, but he’s more of a 1a type goalie.

1. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning

Like Howard, it’s unclear whether Tampa Bay has interest in moving the young netminder. With the abundance of pay raises due over the next few years, the Lightning are better suited to move Vasilevskiy.

Next: Landon Ferraro: Boston Bruins Waiver-Wire Steal

Is there a chance Anders Lindback and Louis Domingue carries the load well enough to keep Arizona afloat in the Pacific playoff-race? Would the Coyotes be better suited to target an established goaltender, or roll the dice with a younger prospect (considering Arizona wasn’t expected to be in the playoff picture)? Give us your trade scenarios below exploring potential moving pieces going each way.

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