Report: Heavy interest in Stepan from team looking to make a splash at NHL Draft

The Western Conference teams is expected to be “very active” and could pull off a blockbuster

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 6 years ago
Report: Heavy interest in Stepan from team looking to make a splash at NHL Draft
Keystone Press

By clearing the deck of big money commitments to Mike Smith and Shane Doan, the Arizona Coyotes are poised to make big moves this offseason. In fact, several analysts have reported that Coyotes general manager John Chayka has been active behind the scenes in trying to broker a deal or two in advance of the NHL Entry Draft this weekend. One name thrown about in discussions: Derek Stepan. 


The 27 year-old New York Rangers forward is an intriguing option for the Coyotes, as he’d add much needed offense to a team that just finished 27th in league-wide goal scoring. His 18 goals and 55 points in 81 games in 2016-17 would have tied him with Radim Vrbata for the scoring lead in Arizona. Of course, his $6.5 annual cap hit could be prohibitive, especially for a budget-conscious team like the Coyotes. However, the team’s new management group could decide to open the purse strings in its first big offseason.

It’s also worth noting that, as of right now, Stepan has no trade or movement limitations in his agreement with the Rangers. Because he has no say in his destination, the Rangers can afford to be flexible when sussing out the market for a potential Stepan trade.

Source: Bob McKenzie