With the NHL Trade Deadline coming up on March 8, the Arizona Coyotes will have some big decisions to make. The Coyotes have a number of players set to become unrestricted free agents this summer including Jason Zucker, Matt Dumba, Troy Stecher, Travis Dermott and Josh Brown. General manager Bill Armstrong said via NHL.com that both Zucker and Dumba "know where they're at" [https://www.nhl.com/news/arizona-coyotes-prepared-to-sell-before-nhl-trade-deadline] when it comes to potentially being traded at the deadline. 240303 Post Tourigny “I think there's been some transparency and some openness all the way through not only with the players, but also with their agents,” Armstrong said. [https://www.nhl.com/news/arizona-coyotes-prepared-to-sell-before-nhl-trade-deadline] Over the past few years Armstrong has moved veteran players and guys on expiring contracts to acquire draft picks and accumulate young talent. That could very well be the Coyotes’ strategy once again as they sit close to the bottom of the Western Conference standings with a 25-31-5 record. “I've always said from the get-go that our team has led us in the direction we're going,” Armstrong said. [https://www.nhl.com/news/arizona-coyotes-prepared-to-sell-before-nhl-trade-deadline] “Obviously, we'll see what transpires on that day and the days before that. We'll see what we can move and where we can gain some assets.” Just because Arizona is likely to miss the playoffs does not mean they will sell all of their veteran players before Friday afternoon. It’s clear that the Coyotes have taken a major step in their rebuild and are starting to show signs of progress. The team has improved and is beginning to establish a winning culture despite their gloomy month of February. “We've got some good pieces that we like … and we want to take a step with those guys,” Armstrong said. [https://www.nhl.com/news/arizona-coyotes-prepared-to-sell-before-nhl-trade-deadline] “So, you can start to see the core coming together. It's an exciting time for us in a sense that our core is starting to come together, and we'll continue to bring young players in every year.” It will be a hectic week for Armstrong as he continues to guide the Coyotes through this next stage of their rebuild.
