Trade-deadline primer: Arizona Coyotes

With basically their top three picks encumbered for next season pending the completion of the Hall trade and missing two of their top three selections this season, the Coyotes might be limited in terms of shopping at the higher end of the market, especially since they’re not likely going to be willing to part with top prospects such as Barrett Hayton or Victor Soderstrom.

However, one veteran player to keep an eye on might be goaltender Antti Raanta. Over his time with the Coyotes, he has played relatively well for the most part (although his last outing was a rough one), but staying healthy has been a concern. That eventually led to the acquisition of Darcy Kuemper, who earned himself a contract extension this season as he played his way into the No. 1 role. All of a sudden, that leaves Raanta and his $4.25 million average annual value as an expensive insurance policy. With several teams looking for a short-term upgrade at the backup position, the 30-year-old could be of interest. Moving Raanta would also open up a bit more salary-cap flexibility, which could be notable with the Coyotes being open to a bonus overage penalty next year as a result of being in long-term injured reserve.

Beyond Raanta, expect Arizona's trade chips to be late-round picks or younger players who are on the fringes of being worth an NHL look whom other teams will be able to take a longer look at down the stretch.

Five Players To Watch For: F Michael Bunting, F Brayden Burke, D Kyle Capobianco, F Lane Pederson, G Antti Raanta

Team Needs

1) Defensive Depth – Right now, Arizona’s depth options are Jordan Oesterle, Ilya Lyubushkin and Kyle Capobianco. While the three can hold their own on the third pairing if need be, it’s an area that can certainly be upgraded. Landing a capable third pairing defender would be ideal; but even if the Coyotes don’t do that, some extra depth to hedge in case of injuries would be worth examining.

2) Scoring Help – Even after the Coyotes added Hall and Kessel, their offense has gone up by only a quarter goal per game from last season. Nick Schmaltz is sitting at just seven goals this season while Derek Stepan is at eight; those are their top-paid forwards after Kessel. Another impact scorer would be ideal; although with their limited cap space, the Coyotes may have to settle for targeting a complementary piece who fits in better with some of their scuffling forwards.