At Least Three Teams Below Arizona Coyotes’ Third Overall Draft Pick Are Interested In Moving Up

If you were GM Don Maloney, and you received some offers for the coveted third overall draft selection, who would you be interested in enough to give up that pick?

Some say Phil Kessel has worn out his welcome in Toronto, and doesn’t care to play in the hockey mega media city anymore. He has the 12th highest salary in the NHL, at $58 million for seven years still remaining on his huge contract.

Would the Arizona Coyotes entertain a trade to allow Toronto to move up to the third spot in the draft?

The Arizona Coyotes MUST at least get to the salary cap basement of $51 million (updated to $52.8M on 6-23-15). They sit at over $34 million right now, without signing Mikkel Boedker, and others whom they wish to keep on the team. With $18+ million of required spending, dealing for players on teams with salary cap issues, like the Blackhawks — would be a wise endeavor.

Bryan Bickell and Patrick Sharp may need to be traded to get Chicago under the salary cap. If anyone can work some magic on deals with teams needing to dump some salary, it is Arizona Coyotes DM Don Maloney.

Apparently the Maple Leafs are high on Dylan Strome, and if the Arizona Coyotes can get a player and still draft Noah Hanifin — everyone will be happy.

The Arizona Coyotes are also high on Mitch Marner because GM Don Maloney likes the chemistry of Max Domi along with Anthony Duclair. Marner would compliment that potential line with his goal scoring ability.

What is boils down to is the Arizona Coyotes third overall draft pick will be the real starting point of the draft. We already know who will go number one and two.

It really gives the Desert Dogs a trump card to play here. They can trade the pick to acquire a good NHL player, and still remain within range of being able to pick up Hanifin, or Provorov on defense. Then they will still have a shot at selecting Marner on offense if Toronto wants Strome that badly.

GM Don Maloney has made it clear he will entertain the idea of trading his pick, if he can still get his guy — we just don’t know who that is yet.

It becomes a poker game where one GM is trying to determine if the other is bluffing or telling the truth about whom they will choose.

A Coyotes executive has outlined their pleasant problem to the Toronto Sun:

“We could be set with two building block defencemen the next 10 years, or we can address a need up front”.

Way to keep them guessing Don…