When the Arizona Coyotes beat the previous five Stanley Cup champions, nothing seemed to stop them. Everyone played a pivotal role in the success, and then playoff talk slowly crept in. Gradually but surely, people were talking about what the playoffs would look like at Mullett Arena, let alone how they would square up against some of the best teams in the West. Fast forward to Feb. 16, where the Coyotes have lost seven games in a row, struggling to hold leads and playing poor hockey for the most part.
Related: Coyotes’ Continued Struggles Will Lead to Trade Deadline Sell-Off
Now that begs the question, what will general manager Bill Armstrong do during the March 8 trade deadline? He could go many ways; selling is, of course, one of them, but could he also add some young talent? Let’s dive in and analyze what options he has.
Who Could Be On Their Way Out?
The NHL trade deadline always brings much uncertainty. Not only for the Coyotes but for the entire NHL. Dominos such as Elias Lindholm have already fallen, as he was traded in a blockbuster move to the Vancouver Canucks. So that brings us back to the main idea: Which Coyotes could be on their way out of the desert? Some probable players could be Jason Zucker, Matt Dumba, Travis Dermott, and even bigger names such as Karel Vejmelka and Nick Schmaltz, to name a few.
Schmaltz and Vejmelka are unlikely, especially due to the injury Ingram just suffered, but Schmaltz is an intriguing player. His chemistry with Clayton Keller is off the charts, and when they’re both on it, they are one of the better duos in the NHL. However, Schmaltz turns 28 in a few days and hasn’t been very reliable regarding his health. However, trading him could send a ripple through the Coyotes’ core like Lawson Crouse, Keller, and Matias Maccelli, and might not be the smartest move.
The Coyotes also have tons of restricted free agents (RFA), but it’s highly doubtful that players like Sean Durzi or J.J. Moser will get traded.
What Are Ideal Returns in Trades?
It’s already hard enough to predict who could be on their way out with the Coyotes slide, but the returns are even more challenging to predict. At the end of the day, it depends on what other teams’ valuation of the player is and if they’re willing to meet the asking price. Coyotes fans are familiar with the Jakob Chychrun saga, which saw the Coyotes’ asking price stand pat for what seemed like forever. The most likely to be traded is Zucker, who hasn’t exactly met expectations this season.
The 32-year-old has eight goals and 22 points through 42 games and hasn’t been that goal-scoring threat like he has been with previous teams. Thus, the return for him won’t be anything crazy. It’ll likely be a draft pick around the third round or so or a prospect. The Coyotes did such when they traded Nick Bjugstad for a 2023 third-round pick and defenseman Michael Kesselring. Dumba will also likely be in trade talks as the deadline rapidly approaches.
Dumba hasn’t been a fan favorite this season because of his poor play and costly turnovers, but there’s no denying a playoff team would love to add his physicality to their team. With that in mind, a return similar to Shayne Gostisbehere a season ago, where they received a 2026 third-round pick, could be likely. As mentioned, though, it’s so hard to predict the outcome of trades; while we have a good idea of who could be traded, the returns are like mystery boxes.
Let the Rookies Play & Gain Experience
Assuming players like Zucker, Dumba, and more are traded, there is no better time to let the rookies play and gain as much experience as possible. Players like Logan Cooley, Dyan Guenther, Kesselring, and even possibly taking a look at some prospects with the Tucson Roadrunners. While it wouldn’t be wise to ruin the abundance of success they are seeing, why not give a player like Josh Doan a couple of games up in the NHL?
Those are decisions that Armstrong and company will have to make, but this is one of the benefits of selling at the trade deadline. See what you have in players and what they could work on to adapt to the NHL better next season. They did something similar to this last season when they started Ivan Prosvetov in the latter half of the season to see how he’d handle extended looks in the NHL rather than a call-up for a game or two. Even a player like Nathan Smith, who hasn’t been what they maybe expected out of him when they traded for him two seasons ago from the Winnipeg Jets.
If there is time to give the rookies experience, it would be after selling at the trade deadline and a prime opportunity to see what they have in certain players.
Selling Helps Coyotes in the Long Run
It’s no secret the Coyotes have an abundance of draft capital; looking at the numbers, it’s quite bizarre. Selling and acquiring even more draft capital and youth will only do them better in the long run. It is to note, though, that they won’t be able to sign every draft pick; it’s impossible, so they could make moves similar to Durzi this past summer. Nonetheless, the ball is in Armstrong’s court, and it will be interesting to see the moves that come from him before the deadline.