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Arizona Coyotes Rumor: Bryan Bickell To The Desert

By William Grigsby

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Arizona Coyotes Could Use Bryan Bickell, The Blackhawks Need To Cut Salary

It seems like a romance made in hockey heaven. The Arizona Coyotes need to ADD salary ($34.479M), and the Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks need CUT salary ($64.833M). Both teams didn’t need to register with E-Harmony to see they have common goals, interests and compatibility.

Bickell has been rumored to be traded this week, and GM Don Maloney knows most trades are done on the NHL Entry Draft floor, the day of the draft. Maloney has about $18M to get to the salary cap BASEMENT, which he is required to do. The team salaries were at about $56M last season, and expected to increase this season. So, with that in mind you can add another $4M or so. DON, SPEND SOME MONEY ! ! This is like telling your wife, ” Here, honey… take the checkbook and get whatever you want.”

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Bickell’s salary cap hit is $4M, and he is signed through the ’16-’17 season. It could be very logical for the Blackhawks to trade him to the Arizona Coyotes for some draft picks, since they can’t take on much more salary. They still must sign Brandon Saad ($.894M, but will get a sizable raise), Johnny Odyua ($3.383M), Marcus Kruger ($1.325M). They will dump Antoine Vermette’s ($.875M), and Brad Richard’s ($2M) salaries to help them a bit — but still won’t be able to balance the books.

So, that is why both Patrick Sharp, and Bryan Bickell have been rumored to be moving on to a new team next season. The 29-year-old Bickell has a limited no-trade clause in his contract, and the Hawks have a list of eight teams they can send Bickell to without his permission (wouldn’t we all like to know which teams those are..). If they strike a deal with a team not on the list, they must clear it with Bickell first.

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Looking back at the Blackhawks' trades involving Andrew Ladd
Looking back at the Blackhawks' trades involving Andrew Ladd /

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    • Personally, I would like to see Bickell in a Coyotes uniform for

    a couple of

    four… well really three reasons:

    1. He’s BIG… 6′ 4″, 233lbs
    2. His salary is not excessive
    3. He has been with a Cup winner multiple times, making him know what is takes to be a winner
    4. HE’S BIG…. oh yeah guess I said that!

    I can see some line combos also with Bickell; like him with Domi and Samuelsson. His size will create some space for the smaller, fast forwards to break through the offensive zone. The Arizona Coyotes need a big winger who can create some plays, and Bickell has that ability.

    Along with this trade rumor, the rumors are flying like kites in a monsoon storm about what the Arizona Coyotes are going to do with their third overall pick tomorrow.

    As of this morning there is a HOT rumor, being reported by Fox AZ Sports is that GM Don Maloney said he had four or five “legitimate offers” for the third overall pick in the draft, and three to four more “tire kickers”, classified as not serious.

    "“I guess I am surprised at the type of names being presented for trades, outright,” Maloney said. “These are people that would fit into our future plans; existing NHL players. It speeds up your development timeline a little bit, so they are offers you really have to stop and consider.”"

    Maloney said there is also interest in trading down in the draft, with additional players the team might be able to acquire out of that scenario. One team offered him a pair of mid-first round picks and a player. He did not specify the years of those picks.

    Winnipeg has the 17th and 25th picks in this year’s draft. Toronto has two picks, but one is early (No. 4), one is No. 24. Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reported that one of the teams believed to be in the mix for that No. 3 pick is Columbus, which owns the No. 8 overall selection.

    For me if the player is Michael Frolik, I’d consider it. Getting two later first rounders might not be too bad, not in this draft.

    Right now, GM Don Maloney could be using smoke and mirrors to increase the worth (doesn’t really need to do that) of this valuable third overall pick. Some other teams want it, but how much are they willing to give the Yotes for that pick?

    All this, and more will be answered shortly… say in about 28 hours.

    SEE YOU AT THE DRAFT PARTY/FAN RALLY COYOTES FANS

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