Former Philadelphia Flyer Blueliner May be a Trade Deadline Treasure
The Arizona Coyotes acquired Shayne Gostisbehere along with second-round (defenseman Artem Duda) and seventh-round (traded to Montreal Canadiens) picks in the 2022 NHL Draft from the Philadelphia Flyers for nothing more than future considerations on July 22, 2021.
Since then, "Ghost" has progressed to be a top defenseman on the Arizona club.
"Adversity happened, the League got better and now he needed to find his way," Coyotes coach Andre Tourigny said. "A fresh start helped him. He arrived with us a more mature individual and he's been just great."
Gostisbehere had 51 points in 82 games last season, and has 14 points in 20 games this current season. It goes without saying that he will get much more in a trade deadline trade than future considerations.
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Contending teams needing an excellent puck-moving blueliner who can quarterback the power play will be contacting GM Bill Armstrong soon. The Coyotes are in a rebuild and that means they want assets like draft picks and/or prospects.
After his initial impact with the Flyers, Gostisbehere's game tailed off. His keen offensive instincts weren't enough to make up for his defensive deficiencies.
"I'm not going to lie, I was a guy without a lot of confidence," Gostisbehere said. "I'm thankful they gave me an opportunity and traded me to a place where I could get my game right. I'm forever thankful to them for that. It was tough times there at the end, but you've got to roll with the punches. I got an opportunity to resurrect my career. I'm having fun playing hockey again."
And because of his success in Arizona, he may be moving on to join a team hunting for a Cup. What a transformation for the 29-year-old Pembroke Pines, Florida native.
The Arizona team already is attempting to trade Jakob Chychrun, and if Gostisbehere gets dealt, they will need to rely upon their young defensemen. J. J. Moser has really come on lately as a rising star on the Arizona blueline. He is right behind Gostisbehere in scoring with three goals, 10 assists. He is a workhorse too, averaging 23:32 minutes of ice time, leading the team.
For now, Arizona GM Armstrong has all he can handle with all the inquiries coming in on Gostisberhere's availability.
Wherever he lands, that team will be adding a valuable asset to their blueline.
| POLL | ||
28 NOVEMBRE | 45 ANSWERS Former Philadelphia Flyer Blueliner May be a Trade Deadline Treasure Will Shayne Gostisbehere be traded? | ||
| It certainly seems that way | 14 | 31.1 % |
| He will give some team a good addition | 12 | 26.7 % |
| No, the Coyotes should keep him | 3 | 6.7 % |
| We'll see | 16 | 35.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
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