Coyotes mysteriously pull Antti Raanta out of the starting lineup just minutes before the game.

The Arizona Coyotes have just made an eyebrow raising move just seconds before the start of a very important afternoon game against the Boston Bruins, and so far no one is talking about why the move has been made. As you would expect given the time of year, speculation is running rampant as to why veteran goaltender Antti Raanta was pulled from the starting lineup just minutes before the game. 

First, it was Arizona Coyotes insider Craig Morgan that broke the news on Saturday revealing that 23 year old goaltender Adin Hill would be getting the start on Saturday, but even at the time of that report Morgan made it clear that he was as confused about the move as the rest of us. Morgan initially reported that he was "awaiting word on why" the sudden change had been made, but no answers would be forthcoming from the Coyotes it seems. The latest report from Morgan has indicated that the Coyotes will be addressing the move following the conclusion of their game against the Bruins today, although it is unclear which member of the Coyotes organization will be addressing the sudden switch in net. 

Of course given that we are now only a few short days away from the NHL trade deadline the speculation has immediately turned towards any potential trades the Coyotes and their general manager John Chayka may have made. It seems unlikely that Chayka would see kto trade Raanta, a goaltender that has been very solid for them this season, but the possibility of them putting Aidin Hill out there to showcase his talents may not be that far fetched. 

Hill has had a solid showing during the 2019 - 2020 NHL regular season for the Coyotes and no doubt other teams around the league have taken notice. Although Hill is obviously a backup goaltender, appearing in just 10 games for the Coyotes this season, he has put up some very solid numbers with a 2.48 goals against average and a .920 save percentage. Whether or not that would be enough to get some teams to come calling however remains to be seen. This is a strange one to be sure, but we will know more shortly after today's game.