The big day has arrived and one player will be leaving the Coyotes franchise today.
Today is the day the Seattle Kraken draft their team. At 5:00 pm Arizona time, the Seattle Kraken will select one player from each team, other than the Vegas Golden Knights, who are exempt.
The Arizona Coyotes deflated any drama surrounding which player would be selected over the weekend deadline when they traded Adin Hill to the San Jose Sharks. Craig Morgan reported that the Kraken were interested in drafting Hill to flip him for assets, and the Coyotes decided it was better to get something for him.
Hill came into his own as a backup this past season, and he was the most significant piece that the Kraken could take. Seattle being more interested in flipping him than playing him speaks to his value and the rest of the available Coyotes.
Looking at the players that the Coyotes made available, two names stand out as the players most likely to be selected later today, Christian Fischer and Tyler Pitlick.
While it sucks to lose any player to an expansion draft, especially if they are your favorite player, neither loss would hit as hard as losing Hill.
Fischer has been with the team since being 32nd overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. He worked his way up through the Tucson Roadrunners and has played in 265 regular-season games with the Coyotes. His offense has diminished in recent years, but he found a role for himself as a penalty killer this past season.
Pitlick joined the Coyotes during the last offseason and is in the second year of a two-year, $3.5 million deal. He spent some time dealing with injuries last season, and in 38 games with the Desert Dogs, he had 6 goals and 5 assists.
But Pitlick and Fischer are only two of the Coyotes players available. Is there someone else you think Seattle will select? Do you think the team should have exposed Lawson Crouse instead?
UPDATE:
Numerous selections have been released before the draft, including Craig Morgan reporting that the Kraken will draft Tyler Pitlick.
Hearing the Seattle Kraken will select Coyotes forward Tyler Pitlick. Have also heard that they may trade him.
— Craig Morgan (@CraigSMorgan) July 21, 2021