The 2023-24 NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone. The Arizona Coyotes remained quiet for the most part, dealing Jason Zucker, Matt Dumba, and Troy Stecher and some draft capital for three additional draft picks.
The return for the Coyotes has not been met with happy faces throughout the Valley, nor what people were hoping for. The Coyotes acquired a 2027 fourth-round pick (via Stecher), a 2024 sixth-round pick (via Dallas, via Zucker), and a 2027 fifth-round pick (via Dumba). Higher returns were expected, thus ESPN giving the Coyotes a C- grade.
Breaking Down the Deals
General manager Bill Armstrong kicked off trading on Thursday, March 7th, trading defenseman Stecher and a 2024 seventh-round pick (via Boston) to the Edmonton Oilers for a 2027 fourth-round pick. Stecher returned to the Valley this offseason after spending last season with the team before being dealt to the Calgary Flames at the deadline. In 47 games, he recorded five points (one goal, four assists). Despite playing top-four minutes with the Coyotes, Edmonton will look to utilize him as a top-six defenseman.
The Coyotes second of three trades came on Friday, sending forward Zucker to the Nashville Predators in return for a 2024 sixth round pick (via Dallas). The first of two moves made on Friday that Armstrong received criticism for the return. Many thought the Coyotes could get a third or fourth-round pick in return for the 32-year veteran who signed a one-year deal in Arizona during the offseason. The two biggest reasons for the rather lackluster return was production, and the Coyotes refusing to retain any of his $5.3 million contract. He leaves the Coyotes having recorded 25 points (nine goals, 16 assists) in 51 games, failing to produce to the team’s expectations.
The final trade of the day came in the form of Dumba and a 2025 seventh-round pick to the Tampa Bay Lightning in return for a 2027 fifth-round pick. Yet another highly criticized move for Armstrong, as the Coyotes didn’t take on any of his $3.9 million contract, thus hindering the return. Dumba, who signed in the desert this offseason looking to revitalize his career, took a regression, struggling as one of the team’s worst defensemen for half of the season. He recorded just 10 points (four goals, six assists) in 51 games.
Grading the Coyotes Moves
With the metaphorical trade deadline dust now settled, we take a look out how the Coyotes came out at the end of the day. A pair of rather poor returns in Dumba and Zucker ultimately left the Coyotes near the bottom of the post-deadline grading tier list. Many experts expected the Coyotes to come out of the deadline with anywhere between a second to third-round pick, and the best they mustered up was a fifth-rounder.
But it’s worth noting the Coyotes’ additional three acquired picks brings them up to a total of 33 picks over the next three seasons. The Coyotes are still rebuilding, which is something worth noting during this all. Their time is coming; the days of being a deadline seller are going to start dwindling away sooner than you know. The exciting future being built in the desert is just on the horizon.
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