NHL Network: David Pagnotta on NHL Tonight on the Arizona Coyotes and how they could becomes buyers at the trade deadline and not sellers.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
E.J. Hradek: “All right, March 8th is the trade deadline. So just for clarity for the viewers out there, it is a couple of months away. But you know, teams are always thinking about moves they can make. Some teams like to get ahead of it early.
How about the Coyotes? I just got to do their game against the Bruins on Saturday. They’re in a little bit of a slide now. They had won five in a row now they’ve lost three in a row. They’re playing the Pittsburgh Penguins . What do you think their mindset is, as we inch closer to that March date?”
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Pagnotta: “Well, you know, you E.J. as, as I mentioned a lot of teams doing their due diligence and trying to get their prep work done because the trade deadline will come pretty quick for a lot of these clubs.
The Coyotes, their rebuild process for the most part, over. They are now entering the next phase of their plan, which is to start competing. Which they’re doing this season and if this team remains in the playoff picture as we get closer to that March 8th trade deadline, and probably after All-Star Weekend, they are likely to ramp up their discussions with teams to add to this roster.
They’d like to improve their blue line, a little bit. If they can bring in somebody on the second pair to solidify that back end and perhaps add somebody in their middle-six, I believe that’s something Bill Armstrong, their general manager will look to do.
They’re looking right now at options, at least internally, and starting to create some targets and understand who could be available, what the price tags of those players may be. And that’s something that they’re going to look at later on.
Again, right now, as we’re doing this they’re in the second wildcard spot in the West. If they remain in contention, remain in that playoff hunt. The Coyotes are going to be a team that is going to look to add as we get closer to that deadline.
So certainly something to keep tabs on. Don’t get a sense anything’s imminent at this point, but again, a lot of teams, Detroit being one, Coyotes being another, doing their due diligence right now to see what’s going to be available later on.
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But for the most part, at least, from a planning perspective, rebuild is over in Arizona. They want to start competing and the rest of the league is understanding of that.”