Breaking: 1st rounder quits the NHL!

Arizona Coyotes forward Emerson Etem was placed on unconditional waivers on Sunday for the purposes of terminating his contract. 

It’s clear that things haven’t worked out for the 25-year-old power forward with his new organization and so both sides have decided to mutually terminate the players’ contract. And on Tuesday, it was made official. 

In just 16 games with the Coyotes’ AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners, Etem has just four goals and five points. Etem managed just three NHL games a year prior with the Anaheim Ducks. 

The Coyotes are Etem’s fourth organization in the past three seasons and now his NHL playing days are over. 

Etem said he was pursing other options. 

It’s unusual for a player to terminate his contract in the midst of the season, but he could have plans to play in Europe or the KHL.

Was Etem hoping to crack the American roster for the 2018 Olympics? Any player under an NHL contract is negligible to compete in the upcoming games, and with Emerson’s contract set to be terminated, could he be a late candidate? 

What do you think? 

In 173 games in the NHL with the Ducks, Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers and Coyotes, Etem has recorded 22 goals and 46 points.