The Arizona Coyotes made one of the biggest deals of the season when they sent defenseman Jakob Chychrun to the Ottawa Senators for a trio of draft picks. The Coyotes will receive a first-round pick in 2023 and a pair of future second-round picks. While the initial ask was certainly higher, Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong explained his thought process to Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports.
Armstrong stated he valued the Senators first-round pick higher than most other teams next two first-round picks. The Senators are fighting for a playoff spot, but are on the outside looking in and have to leapfrog a handful of teams down the stretch to get in. If they miss, the Coyotes are guaranteed a top-16 pick which, paired with two future second-round picks, has more value than two first-round picks that would be closer to 30th overall. Armstrong said he believes this pick will be somewhere between 6-18 in a deep 2023 draft, and that was ultimately why he pulled the trigger on the Chychrun trade.
- Per a team release, the Vegas Golden Knights will be without William Carrier for the foreseeable future. He is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury after leaving the Golden Knights 4-3 shootout win in the first period. Carrier is having a productive season with 16 goals and 25 points in 56 games but now joins Mark Stone, Nolan Patrick, Robin Lehner, Logan Thompson and Laurent Brossoit on the sidelines in Vegas.
- Minnesota Wild winger Brandon Duhaime won’t play today due to injury according to Joe Smith of The Athletic relays (Twitter link). He will be re-evaluated when the team returns from their trip after tonight’s contest in Calgary. The 25-year-old has seven goals and an assist in 39 games so far.