Arizona Coyotes: Five of the best John Chayka trades
The trade deadline is upon us and the Arizona Coyotes could be a team looking to make a move in hopes of reaching the playoffs.
Arizona Coyotes general manager John Chayka has not been shy about making trades since arriving in the desert, helping to construct the team we now see today.
While many of his 42 trades have been relatively minor, there have been some that have had a profound impact on the team.
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With the Coyotes sniffing the playoffs for the first time in over six years, despite the mountain they have had to climb with injuries, Chayka could be willing to make another deal that helps the team.
While it is unlikely that a large deal could be on the horizon, fans will still be intrigued to see what the latest move Chayka makes ahead of one of the most anticipated dates of the year.
So, ahead of the much-anticipated trade deadline, we take a look at five of the best trades that Chayka has made since becoming general manager of the Arizona Coyotes.
dark. Next. Getting a Top Pairing defenceman
Jason Demers from the Panthers
The Arizona Coyotes have a stacked defensive corps, especially when everyone is healthy and able to take to the ice.
One player that was acquired by Chayka in a trade is Jason Demers – who holds down a top-two pairing role with the Coyotes when he is fully healthy.
Demers is a regular defensive partner of Coyotes captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson and has been sorely missed this season, with the 30-year-old right-handed blueliner having been sidelined since mid-November.
The trade that brought Demers to the desert also appears to have been a master-stroke by Chayka, with the deal being a straight one-for-one, with forward Jamie McGinn going the other way to the Florida Panthers.
As a part of the trade, the Panthers also retained $562,500 per season of Demers’ contract, reducing his cap hit to just $3,937,500 until 2021.
McGinn, also 30, has had a less than stellar time since being traded to the Panthers. Making 76 regular season appearances in the season following the trade, McGinn registered 13 goals and 29 total points.
This season, however, McGinn has found himself featuring just twice for the Panthers all season – registering a goal on the single shot he had in that brief span.
Demers, meanwhile, had been a top contributor for the Coyotes along the blueline and will slot back into the top-four immediately upon his return from injury.
McGinn’s future in Florida is questionable, but Demers will still be a key player for the Arizona Coyotes, costing them relatively little over the next two seasons.
Next. Panik/Duclair. dark
I do Duclair, it is no time To Panik
This trade has had possibly a smaller impact on the team than the previous one, however with the trade deadline upon us – it could potentially lead to even more for the Arizona Coyotes.
It is always disappointing to see a young prospect’s career spiral, especially after showing so much promise early on.
Anthony Duclair had a storming 2015/16 season, registering 20 goals and 44 total points – showing real promise for the Coyotes that gave fans hope for the future.
Since then, however, things have not worked out and he has now found himself traded to the fifth team of his career.
With the Coyotes originally acquiring Duclair from the New York Rangers, the team parted ways with him less than three seasons later – sending him to the Chicago Blackhawks.
The deal saw Duclair and Adam Clendening sent to Chicago with Richard Panik and Laurent Dauphin being sent the other way.
The trade saw Dauphin return to the desert, having originally been sent to the Blackhawks in another trade that features later on in this list.
Duclair’s time in Chicago ended quickly, after just 23 games where the Pointe-Claire, Quebec native earned just eight points (two goals, six assists).
In return, the Coyotes have had 19 goals and 43 total points from Panik in 90 regular season games, with the Czech winger potentially being available at this year’s deadline to help improve the team even further.
Dauphin found himself traded to the Nashville Predators for Emil Pettersson with Clendening moving on to the Columbus Blue Jackets after failing to make an appearance for the Blackhawks.
Next. Coyotes legend Marian Hossa. dark
The Hossa Contract
In a deal that was seen as a simple contract dump that benefitted the Chicago Blackhawks, the Arizona Coyotes have arguably benefitted the most.
With Marian Hossa no longer able to continue playing, the Blackhawks needed to offload his $5.275 million cap hit until 2021 and the Coyotes were the ideal partners in a trade.
The trade saw the Coyotes part ways with a number of minor players: Andrew Campbell, Marcus Kruger, Jordan Maletta and Mackenzie Entwistle along with a fifth-round pick in 2019.
In return, the Coyotes took on Hossa’s deal, defenceman Jordan Oesterle, forward Vinnie Hinostroza and a third-round pick in 2019.
Campbell has not played an NHL game since 2016 and Maletta, unfortunately, had to retire from the game after suffering a career-ending injury.
Kruger, who had been a part of the Blackhawks’ two most recent cup victories, plays regularly as a fourth-line guy and Entwistle continues his development in juniors – though it will be some time before he even considers making the jump to the NHL.
For the Coyotes, Oesterle and Hinostroza have both been key players this season – playing 52 and 51 regular season games so far as the team looks to compete for a playoff spot.
If Entwistle develops well, the trade could work out nicely for both teams, but with the Coyotes getting a higher pick and two impact players immediately, this one should be considered a win for Chayka.
Next. It's Hammer time. dark
It’s Hammer time
In this trade, the Arizona Coyotes let go of two young guys in exchange for a legitimate top-four defenceman that is arguably one of the best players on the team today.
The Coyotes sent Connor Murphy and Laurent Dauphin to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for three-time Stanley Cup champion Niklas Hjalmarsson.
Murphy has earned 22 points (four goals, 18 assists) in 108 regular season games with the Blackhawks, while Hjalmarsson has earned 17 points in 109 regular season games with the Coyotes.
The difference is that Hjalmarsson is a far more effective defenceman, blocking an astonishing 250 shots since moving to the desert – having a positive Corsi rating of 50.1% despite starting in his own zone 64.4% of the time.
Dauphin also returned to the Coyotes in the Panik/Duclair trade mentioned earlier in this list, though he was swiftly offloaded to the Predators to help clear up a contract spot – while also landing Emil Pettersson for the Tucson Roadrunners.
Hammer, as he is known, is a truly key piece to the puzzle for the Coyotes and it is easy to see why this deal is on this list.
dark. Next. Goose hunting
Grabbing a Goose
The final trade on this list finishes off with another trade that involves a defenceman.
When looking at the Arizona Coyotes’ defensive corps, two were drafted by the team (OEL and Jakob Chychrun), one was a free agent signing (Ilya Lyubushkin), one was claimed off waivers (Kevin Connauton) and the rest were all acquired in trades listed here.
This trade was a simple one-for-one deal, with Alex Goligoski heading to the desert in exchange for a 2016 fifth-round draft pick.
Since being acquired by the Arizona Coyotes, Goligoski has earned 92 points (21 goals, 71 assists) in 215 regular season games.
The 33-year-old veteran has blocked 408 shots and thrown 301 hits since arriving in the desert – averaging 22:38 on the ice.
Goose has been a steady veteran presence for the Coyotes and continues to play a vital role in Rick Tocchet’s team.
The Stars used the fifth-round pick from the Coyotes to select goaltender Colton Point – who has been developing in college before turning pro, playing in both the ECHL and AHL this season in the Stars’ system.
Next. Michael Grabner closer to returning. dark
What do you think of these Chayka trades Coyotes fans? Are you pleased with the deals that Chayka has orchestrated so far? What would you like to see the team do at the deadline? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!