On the Arizona Coyotes …
Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic: There will be teams around the NHL that will be wondering, and some hoping, that Oliver Ekman-Larsson will have had enough of the Coyotes struggles and will look for a fresh start this offseason. Some are hopeful that it would be before the trade deadline.
Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports: Coyotes GM John Chayka said that again that he doesn’t expect to make any major moves ahead on the February 26th NHL trade deadline.
“I’ve had numerous discussions on a lot of different players,” he said. “If there’s a chance to make our team better I’ll do it, but in the past there was a lot of need for guys to get a fresh start or to infuse youth. There were some underlying changes we were trying to make. I don’t think that’s the case any longer.
“I think the core players are in place and they need some time and some experience surrounded by the right players. We’ve got some pieces in place that we like. Now, we’re just seeing if there are some things we can tweak to try and improve. There is nothing underlying that I think needs a significant change.”
On the Montreal Canadiens …
Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic: The Canadiens are listening to calls on Max Pacioretty, but there is no guarantee that they will trade him. Unless a team steps up with a top, young center, Pacioretty likely isn’t going anywhere before the deadline.
Trade talks could re-open around the draft. It’s also possible that the Canadiens feel that he could be part of their long-term future.
Despite being a pending UFA, it’s also possible that Tomas Plekanec stays. He’s 35-years old but is still an effective third-line center.
It appears the GM Marc Bergevin is looking to re-tool and not rebuild. He appears open to listening to offers on anyone except Carey Price, Shea Weber, Victor Mete and Jonathan Drouin.