Brendan Leipsic would be worth claiming for the Arizona Coyotes
By James Reeve
The Vancouver Canucks placed forward Brendan Leipsic on waivers yesterday and the Arizona Coyotes should seriously look at placing a waiver claim on him.
The Arizona Coyotes have had mixed results so far this season and have had a number of injuries hamper their progress, with Michael Grabner the latest.
Grabner is expected to miss quite a bit of time after taking a high stick directly to his right eye, the result of which were posted to social media.
Losing Grabner is disappointing for the Coyotes, with the Austrian having a big role on penalty killing as well as providing the team with plenty of speed along the wing.
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The Coyotes’ lower-end forwards leave much to be desired and a player such as Leipsic, who would come at a relatively low cost, is something the team can’t afford to at least attempt to target.
So far this season, the 24-year-old winger has five total points (two goals, three assists) in 17 games with the Canucks.
He has only averaged 12:50 on the ice this season and is viewed as a bottom-six forward at the most, at least at this stage of his career.
Despite having few points, Leipsic would fit in well with a Coyotes team that often has more opportunities in front of net than their opponents.
He has 36 shots on goal so far this season, good for around two shots per game – not including total attempts.
He has also used his body on occasion to help his team, blocking three shots and throwing 11 hits – also having an impressive 10 takeaways.
He is a young player that has largely dominated in the minors and is still trying to find his way in the NHL.
He would also cost very little in terms of money or assets, coming for free due to being claimed off waivers while earning a league minimum $650,000 for just this season.
Since leaving the Toronto Maple Leafs, he has played for two Pacific Division teams; the Canucks and Vegas Golden Knights, so why not make it three-for-three with the Arizona Coyotes?
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What do you think Coyotes fans? Would Leipsic help fill the void left by Grabner and is he worth a waiver claim?