Scouting the Enemy: Anaheim Ducks vs. Arizona Coyotes
By Jason Byun
Jan 11, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Anaheim Ducks forward Kyle Palmieri (21) handles the puck against the Phoenix Coyotes defensemen Keith Yandle (3) in the first period at Jobing.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports
2. The Coyotes are generally seen as a team loaded with good defensemen, yet lack the forwards to compete, especially at center. There seem to be trade rumors surrounding the Arizona defensemen, especially Keith Yandle (who lacks a no-trade clause and is one of the premier point producers from the blue-line in the NHL). With the carousel of defensemen that have been dealt recently (Sergei Gonchar, Bryan Allen, Brenden Dillon, and Jason Demers), and the general desire for teams to upgrade their blue-line, how aggressive do you believe Arizona should be in potentially acquiring some forward help?
Richie: The Coyotes are lucky in that they have some decent depth on the blueline with Brandon Gormley, Connor Murphy, and Zbynek Michalek, and that makes them all trade options. The most likely to go in my opinion is Michalek. His contract is up at the end of the season and he is sort of part of the old guard, as Gormley and Murphy continue to grow.
I really hope GMDM (General Manager Don Maloney) has something planned to bring in some scoring help, but I doubt it will be as big of a splash as most fans are hoping for.
Bill: I think Keith Yandle has been rumored to be on the trading block for the last two seasons, and if this team doesn’t start improving, he may be involved in a trade to bulk the weak forward lines. It’s no secret he would love to play for the Boston Bruins, but they have salary cap issues, and Yandle has a $5.25 million contract, which may be difficult to work out a trade with another team.
I’ve had this pipe-dream that the Coyotes could trade Yandle for Taylor Hall. Of course, Edmonton needs better defense, and Yandle has improved his defensive skills of late, and we all know he can score and run a power play. If Edmonton stays pat, they will not make the playoffs again, so it could be a possibility. It would instantly improve both team’s weaknesses. Will it happen? Doubt it.