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Chayka traded 24-year-old Connor Murphy to the Chicago Blackhawks for 30-year-old Niklas Hjalmarsson, who is two years from becoming an unrestricted free agent.

Chayka is a noted analytics expert, but the numbers don’t add up since he took control of the Coyotes. Yes, it was time for GM Don Maloney to go and coach Dave Tippett hadn’t accomplished a whole lot when the two sides mutually agreed to part ways last summer, but the Coyotes look as if they’re ready to sink even further.

That’s quite something for a team that has missed the playoffs in five consecutive years. To make matters worse, the expansion Vegas Golden Knights have an 8-1-0 record going into a road trip that starts with game in Brooklyn against the Islanders on Monday.

Photo by Ethan Miller / Getty Images

AROUND THE BOARDS: As noted here last week, the Knights have been trying to trade defenceman Jason Garrison. He cleared waivers Saturday and can be sent to the AHL, but he could still be dealt. Garrison has a $4.6-million cap hit, but he’s making just $2.5 million in real cash, and, if Vegas is willing to eat some of that money, GM George McPhee might find a taker … Chicago Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman may not sit still. He could go looking for a blue-liner who could add some offence, but the Blackhawks are in a difficult cap situation. Heading into Saturday’s home game against Colorado, only three of Chicago’s 35 goals this season had come from defencemen … A frustrated Jack Eichel smashed his stick over his knee as he headed to the dressing room after the Buffalo Sabres’ 3-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Saturday. Sabres GM Jason Botterill was supposed to turn this around with the hiring of coach Phil Housley, and Eichel, who turned 21 Saturday, is in this for the long haul. Botterill needs to make more changes because the Sabres are headed for another terrible winter and that wasn’t part of the plan after they dealt for Marco Scandella and Nathan Beaulieu in the summer … The Flyers have been shopping for help on defence … If anybody wants a forward, they should call Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff. The word is he has extra forwards and is willing to listen, but he likes to move slowly.