Arizona Coyotes Must Trade Tobias Rieder

When the free agency frenzy had cooled and the Arizona Coyotes hadn’t resigned forward Tobias Rieder, some feared Rieder may never play with the Coyotes again. Now that the Arizona Coyotes have made a few more moves it’s imperative he’s isn’t a Coyote anymore.

When last season ended, Arizona Coyotes fans thought resigning Tobias Reider would be one of the easier things the team would do this offseason. However, it has been just the opposite.

Under the guidance of new GM John Chayka, Arizona has completely shifted their organization’s heading, making their defensive liabilities now arguably their strongest attribute.

Yet in all the fuss, Rieder merely received a qualifying offer.

Rieder’s agent threatened a departure to the KHL in an effort to lock down a deal, but Chayka called their bluff and stood pat.

So by the end of July, the two sides sat in a Cold War. Neither side was budging and neither side was talking, or at least publicly. It was at this point I suggested that the Coyotes might want to explore moving Rieder, suggesting that it would be an amicable time to end the issue, a détente of sorts.

However that didn’t happened and since then, Arizona has signed Radim Vrbata to a 1-year deal, with GM John Chayka mentioning that the Vrbata signing could be more than a ‘one and done’ situation.

Now we all sit on the doorstep of September, nearly a month from the start of the season, and nothing has changed in the Rieder negotiations except for my opinion on them.

Tobias Rieder must be traded by this franchise. It is an imperative.

Here’s why:

• A package of Rieder plus one of Arizona’s many prospects could field an established top-6 forward who can consistently generate 25 goal/60 point seasons. Arizona has needed that kind of a player for a very long time.
• A package of Rieder plus one or two of Arizona’s numerous defensemen and/or prospects could land a top-4 or even top-2 defenseman, a coveted jewel Arizona has sought since Keith Yandle was dealt to New York.
• A package of simply Rieder himself fetches one, if not two, second or third round picks. Arizona could easily recoup the picks the team lost in a trade with the Florida Panthers for Lawson Crouse and an LTIR candidate in Dave Bolland. That kind of trade is essential to continually supplying talent for the organization even after the rebuild has concluded.

In other words, the return we would get for Rieder is worth more than what he gives the team alone.

Now none of this is to say that Tobias Rieder has wronged Arizona in any way. Tobi should be paid and he deserves a top-6 role.

But he won’t get either of those things in Arizona simply because the Coyotes can’t give him  those things.

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Arizona can’t pay exactly what Rieder wants because they just took on a bunch of dead contracts in Pavel Datsyuk and Dave Bolland to go along with their older dead money (Chris Pronger) and their buyout farces. All of this dead money suddenly put Arizona’s cap situation in a tight spot, as noted by GeneralFanger.com.

Moreover, Arizona also can’t give Rieder that coveted top-6 role. Ignoring centers because Rieder plays wing, just think about who he has to compete with for that top ice time.

Max Domi and Anthony Duclair are ready for top-6 time. They both played well in their 1st full NHL season and only shows signs of more growth. Moreover, the signing of Radim Vrbata leaves only a single spot in the top-6. That lone spot should be reserved for a NHL-ready rookie talent.

Arizona needs to phase in their talented forward prospects. They can’t leave their talent pool sitting in minor and junior leagues forever.

Both Conor Garland and Brendan Perlini looked like some of the best skaters in development camp in July.

Jens Looke has been turning analyst’s heads. Rieder’s case also is not helped by the acquisition of Lawson Crouse, who has been compared to Cam Neely by some analysts.

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In conclusion, Rieder deserves better.

He’s a special player who deserves a lot of things that Arizona just can’t give him. But he can give Arizona some pieces to succeed, either in players via trade or picks to grow the organization.

The Arizona Coyotes must trade Tobias Rieder. It’s best for his career and it’s best for the Coyotes organization.