- Damien Cox of SportsNet: Cox wonders if it’s time for the Coyotes to blow it up and hope to land a difference maker in this year’s draft. They have had five top 10 picks over the last 10 years, with only Oliver Ekman-Larsson as being a true star. Adding a Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel would sell the team to fans. Keith Yandle’s name has been in the rumor mill. Veterans that would have some trade value include: Martin Hanzal, Sam Gagner, Mikkel Boedker, Lauri Korpikoski and possibly Mike Smith.
- Craig Custance of ESPN: Coyotes GM Don Maloney will have to decide at some point if he’s going to move pending UFA Antoine Vermette and/or Zbynek Michalek. Martin Erat is also in the final year of his deal.
“They’ve been getting awful for two years. They lose Whitney, lose Radim Vrbata, strike out on Mike Ribeiro. Their best player is getting old. I love Shane Doan; he’s been a great warrior for them but he’s getting old,” said the scout. “I feel sorry for Ekman-Larsson. He’s really good. They just don’t have a very good team.”
- Nichols on Hockey: Elliotte Friedman on SportsNet 960 on the Coyotes.
“Yandle is interesting to me. Don Maloney has told the agent and he has said this quote to me too, when I asked him about it. He said, ‘If we ever trade Keith Yandle, you’re going to look at the trade and you’re going to understand why.’
“I think that’s a great quote and I think it’s the truth. He’s getting closer to UFA. I think he’s a UFA at the end of next season. They’ve got to look at it and say, ‘Are we going to keep him?’ Teams love Yandle. He’s going to be 29 years old when he’s a UFA.
“I’ve heard his name there, but I’ve heard it before. And the one thing I think the Coyotes realize – all of their offense is coming from Yandle and Ekman-Larsson. And I think they know if they make a Yandle deal – unless they et an enormous return, that probably means the end of their year.”
- Kevin Kurz of CSN Bay Area: The Sharks didn’t really improve their bottom-six depth this offseason, which may be a hint they plan on making a deal or two during the season, but all talk of them making a big trade has quieted. There is a still a chance that some big changes could happen.
- Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider: Pierre LeBrun noted late last week that Kings defenseman Alec Martinez wants to sign an extension with the Kings. Martinez will be a free agent at the end of the season, but he doesn’t want to talk about it.
“It’s the reason why you have an agent.”
“Let them take care of that stuff so I can worry about playing hockey. I don’t really think about it,” he said.