The Arizona Coyotes are coming off a pretty good year of rebuilding. The team landed some top prospects at the draft in defenseman Dmitriy Simashev and forward Danil But, and even more importantly the Coyotes had a competitive season on the ice last year not finishing at the very bottom of the standings.
Entering the 2023-24 season, the Coyotes main course of action has to be carrying their positive momentum over from last season and getting the young players on this roster to another level.
This season Coyotes’ fans will get to watch Barrett Hayton, Logan Cooley, and Dylan Guenther in particular all hopefully shine in the NHL. Clayton Keller is a rising NHL star and getting to watch him play alongside Cooley this upcoming season could be fun.
With all that said, there are a few players that could be traded this year. So let’s talk about some potential trade candidates.
Three players the Arizona Coyotes should trade this season
Nick Schmaltz
Nick Schmaltz has been a target of trade talks the past few seasons and if the Coyotes do not plan to build around him after this rebuild now might be the time to make a trade happen.
Schmaltz is signed for the next three seasons carrying a cap hit of $5.85 million through the 2025-26 season. He has been a top six forward on this team since the Coyotes traded for him from Chicago, and now might be a good time to move the 27 year old.
Schmaltz has a ten team no trade clause that could limit the Coyotes a little but his cap hit is relatively low for a top six forward, especially if the Yotes consider holding back a bit of his salary in a retention deal.
I think there are a lot of contending teams that would love to add a player like Schmaltz for the next three seasons. He is still young and could bring a lot to any team, but I think the next player on this list is even more enticing for a different team.
Lawson Crouse
Lawson Crouse has size, is only 26 and is signed through 2026-27 making just $4.3 million a season. Crouse had a career year this past season putting up 45 points in 77 games for the Coyotes. I think he is someone who could really make an impact on a good team, but at 26 years old the Coyotes could see value in keeping him around for when they reach their contending window down the line.
Matt Dumba
Matt Dumba signed a one year contract to play with the Arizona Coyotes after spending the past 10 seasons with the Minnesota Wild. Dumba is still a top pairing defenseman now 29 years old, and he is someone that the Coyotes could trade at the deadline.
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Dumba’s contract is not huge, and the Coyotes might be able to raise the asking price for him considering how lucrative cap space is around the NHL. Overall, this team has a ton of options for potential trade candidates this season.