Montreal Canadiens: Hypothetical Habs Trade With Every Pacific Division Team

Arizona Coyotes

The Arizona Coyotes are in a difficult position at the moment. Every team will be hurt by the global pandemic but the team trying to sell hockey in the desert to people who aren’t allowed inside the building have a particularly tough job to do.

Especially when that team traded a boatload of picks and future assets to the New Jersey Devils for Taylor Hall, only to lose in the first round of the playoffs. Add that to the fact they were stripped of a first and second round pick for violating rules around the draft combine and the Coyotes are devoid of draft picks.

They don’t have a pick until the fourth round of the 2020 NHL Draft and they don’t have a first or third round pick in 2021. They will also lose their second round pick that year if they re-sign Hall.

So, they will certainly be looking to add draft picks this year and they will also want to trade away as much salary as they can. They have a few options to complete that goal, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Darcy Kuemper’s names keep appearing in trade rumours.

It doesn’t make a ton of sense to trade two of their most important players, but Phil Kessel could be moved. He played one season in Arizona and was not at the top of his game. He is a skilled right winger who can score goals and excels on the power play. In other words, he fills a huge void on the Habs roster.