Arizona Coyotes Trade Rumors Concerning Two Players Per NHL Insider

Elliotte Friedman of sportsnet.ca stated on his recent podcast “32 Thoughts” that Arizona Coyotes trade rumors could materialize involving two players to the Oilers. One player is Nick Bjugstad and the other is Shayne Gostisbehere.

The Rebuild Will Cause Some Trades to go Down

We all know that general manager Bill Armstrong has made it known that most of his roster is available for a deal if it helps his team going forward. Now, there may be some players he won’t trade, but when you are discussing players with expiring contracts like both Bjugstad and Gostisbehere, the likelihood of a deal is increased. Bjugstad has a very reasonable contract at $900,000. He has had a really outstanding season with 11 goals, 10 assists.

The fact that according to Friedman, the Edmonton Oilers are interested in him seems logical. He is 6′-6″, 215 pounds and the Oilers need a big body like that in front of the net. Not that it would matter in the playoffs, but Bjugstad is a stud on the shootout with three goals in four attempts. He would make the perfect rental for Edmonton who is looking for players with low valued contracts.

According to Friedman, the Oilers have had conversations with the Coyotes about a possible deal to acquire him. He also mentioned that Bjugstad’s teammate Gostisbehere is on the Oilers’ radar. Even if he is currently injured and not due back for three-five weeks, he can still be traded. His name has come up in Coyotes trade rumors recently. As most hockey followers know, the Oilers are in a deep search for a left-handed defenseman. Ghost can play either side, and has been nothing but outstanding since joining the Arizona club.

Gostisbehere has played 130 games for the Yotes with 23 goals and 57 assists. He’s a strong power play contributor with five goals and 24 assists. His time in Arizona thus far shows his worth to another team.

He also has added five extra strength tallies with 24 helpers. It goes without saying that the Oilers could use his talents.

Cap Salary Always an Issue for Any Coyotes Trade Rumors

Ghost has a $4.25 million cap hit, with only $3.25 million due this season. The Oilers want to unload Jesse Puljujarvi and his $3 million deal, so could both teams benefit here? Possibly. The Oilers return for Gostisbehere could be a young defenseman named Philip Broberg ($863,333). As much as the Oilers may want to keep him, if they are serious about a Cup run, they need Gostisbehere more than Broberg. The former is still only 29 years old, and can be involved in other Cup runs by Edmonton if this year doesn’t pan out.

So, recapping… Puljujarvi and Broberg or a second round pick, for Gostisbehere and Bjugstad. Think it would fly? It certainly fits the criteria of what each team aspires from a deal.

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Two Teams Heading in Completely Different Directions

We all are aware that the Oilers are seeking to add to their blueline and gain some supplemental bottom-six scoring. The Coyotes are deep into a rebuild trying to add assets and get back to regular postseason play. While taking Puljujarvi seems like a bit of a risk, he may just flourish in a low-key market like Arizona. The pressures of performing in a city like Edmonton has already damaged his confidence.

He is still young at 24 and certainly fits well with the Coyotes young group of players. He could be the bottom-six player who could be instrumental in improving the team. Since he is a restricted free agent, he will need a bridge deal after this season. It could be his “show me” contract and if he improves, he could get a long-term pact.

Adding Broberg to the Arizona roster will be nothing but a positive for the Coyotes. This holds especially true if GM Armstrong is successful in trading Jakob Chychrun, whose name has filled Coyotes trade rumors for some time now. The blueline would get pretty bare without both Chychrun and Gostisbehere.

Broberg has only played 47 NHL games with one goal, six assists. He has an excellent upside and like they say, to get something, you must give up something. Keeping Evan Bouchard, who has 152 games under his belt is a much better plan. He has 18 goals, 49 assists and has averaged 18:23 minutes of ice time.

Final Words

The trade deadline is quickly approaching and deals could happen anytime. At this point, Coyotes trade rumors are just that… rumors. We will need to wait to see what actually happens in the coming days. It seems that clubs are waiting until after the All-Star game this coming weekend before trades transpire.

Then again on second thought, we just learned that the New York Islanders acquired Bo Horvat from the Vancouver Canucks…