Coyotes' Chayka thrilled with haul from draft-day trade frenzy
All in a morning's work.
Arizona Coyotes general manager John Chayka got a jump on draft day by making a pair of trades that addressed a trio of needs, namely at center, on defense, and in net.
First, the Coyotes acquired defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for blue-liner Connor Murphy and forward Laurent Dauphin.
Shortly thereafter, Arizona reeled in center Derek Stepan and goaltender Antti Raanta from the New York Rangers in exchange for the seventh overall pick in this year's draft and defenseman Anthony DeAngelo.
Here's what Chayka had to say about his new players:
We are very pleased to acquire Niklas. He's an elite player and one of the NHL's top defenseman. He's a warrior who played a key role in Chicago's last three Stanley Cup wins. We are thrilled to have him join our team.
We are thrilled to acquire Derek. Our organization has been searching for a true No. 1 center for over a decade and we are confident that he can be that for us.
On Raanta:
Antti is a highly skilled, athletic goaltender. We're confident that he can emerge as an excellent starting goalie for us
It's been a busy week in Arizona, having previously traded starting goalie Mike Smith, and parted ways with the face of the franchise, Shane Doan, as well as longtime head coach Dave Tippett.
The Coyotes do still have a first-round pick in Friday's draft, the 23rd overall selection that was sent from Minnesota in last season's Martin Hanzal trade.