The Vancouver Canucks and Arizona Coyotes decided to liven up the show with a monster trade on Friday afternoon, hours before the first round of the 2021 draft kicks off.
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The Canadian squad included star defender Oliver Eckmann-Larson and striker Conor Garland. In return, Yotes earned a ninth overall pick from the following auction, a second round in 2022, and another seventh round in 2023, along with forwards Jay Beagle, Antoine Roussel and Louis Ericsson.
Eckmann-Larson, who has been amid rumors for a few seasons, earns an annual salary of $8.25 million, through the end of the 2026-2027 campaign. Coyotes will also keep 12% of their former captain’s salary.
The 30-year-old Swede scores 40 points on a regular basis. In the last shortened season, Southpaw scored three goals and 21 assists for 24 points in 46 games. He’s worn “C” on his shirt for the past three seasons.
For his part, Garland will become a free agent with compensation on July 28. The American was the third best scorer for his team in the past two seasons. In 2020-2021, the right winger had 39 points in 49 games.
“On behalf of the entire organization, I would like to thank Olivier for everything he has done for the Wolves over the past 10 years. He is a fantastic player and person, and we wish him and Connor all the best for the future,” Arizona General Manager Bill Armstrong commented in a written statement.
Veterans of Arizona
The skaters that Coyotes won made up about $12 million in Canucks salaries and they are all over 30. All of their contracts will expire at the end of next season.
The defensive midfielder added five points to his record 30 games.
France’s Rosell missed the first 28 games of the 2019-20 season, and didn’t appear to be at his best last season. The powerful striker added only four points in 35 matches.
At 36, Erickson might get one last chance to show off his Bateman Tour. The Swede, who earns a salary of $6 million, has watched most of the Canucks’ matches from the stands, collecting just one point in seven matches. However, he has 594 points in 977 NHL games.