The 2024 NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone, and several big names have been traded from their respective teams but not from the Arizona Coyotes. The Vegas Golden Knights made a splash, landing defenseman Noah Hanifin and Tomáš Hertl. Plenty of other players were on the move, such as Tyler Toffoli, Kyle Okposo, and much more. Over the last 72 hours, the Coyotes made three deals, which saw them deal three players on expiring contracts. Those three were Troy Stecher, Jason Zucker, and Matt Dumba.
Related: Predators Acquire Jason Zucker From the Coyotes
However, few expected the returns to be so underwhelming. That said, let’s grade each trade and see just how general manager Bill Armstrong did.
Troy Stecher to Edmonton Oilers: B-
The day before the highly anticipated deadline, the Coyotes traded 29-year-old veteran defenseman Stecher and a 2024 seventh-round pick to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round pick. This season, Stecher has notched just one goal and five points in 47 games played for the Coyotes. He was on an expiring contract, and it wasn’t a matter of whether he’d be traded; it was more a matter of when.
The biggest thing with this trade is the return. The Coyotes are already stocked up with draft capital from now to 2026, including ten second-round picks. Now Armstrong and company are starting to pile up much further than in 2026, and this trade shows that, acquiring a 2027 fourth-round pick.
With no salary retention, this is about all they would get, so it’s no surprise. That being said, this trade gets a B- grade. It’s nothing crazy, but it helps out both teams.
Jason Zucker to the Nashville Predators: D-
When Zucker signed with the Coyotes last offseason, the expectation was that he’d be one of the many main contributors on offense. Everywhere he’s been, he’s been a consistent goal scorer and has brought a veteran presence to the team. With that in mind, those were the expectations for him when he arrived in the desert. He failed to meet those goals, as he only recorded nine goals and 25 points in 51 games. It was disappointing because his production could’ve certainly helped guys like Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther.
The return was a 2024 sixth-round pick with no retention on Zucker’s salary. As mentioned, this was certainly not the return they hoped for, as they knew they would likely be sellers at the trade deadline. If the Coyotes retained his salary, would the return be better? More than likely because that’s what most teams did at the deadline, and their returns were reflected based on that.
It’s disappointing and not what anyone wanted, but looking on the optimistic side, Zucker will now have a chance to compete for the Stanley Cup in Nashville. However, this earns the Coyotes a D-, as this draft selection doesn’t do much for them.
Matt Dumba to the Tampa Bay Lightning: D
Similar to Zucker, Dumba was brought in this offseason and was supposed to play a major part on the blue line. He was one of the top defensemen during free agency, and after the Erik Karlsson trade went down, he signed with the Coyotes. It was a one-year deal, but he was looking to revive his career after it took a tumble in the second half of his tenure with the Minnesota Wild.
With the Coyotes, Dumba only recorded four goals and ten points in 58 games. With lots of turnovers and poor puck management, he wasn’t a fan favorite, but he was able to bring about the boom. His physicality was on display every game, but he just couldn’t get anything going on the offensive side of things. That’s one of the main reasons he only fetched a 2027 fifth-round pick.
Again, the Coyotes didn’t retain any salary, which likely influenced the return. Therefore, the grade Armstrong gets is a D. This doesn’t move the needle, and it’s a disappointing return, to say the least.
Underwhelming Returns, But Rebuild Still on Track
Of course, when Armstrong signed these players during the offseason, the hope was that he’d get much more out of them if the Coyotes were sellers at the deadline. With the draft capital they received, that didn’t happen, but it’s not entirely Armstrong’s fault, as his hands were tied. The player’s performance dictated where they’d be; clearly, they didn’t do well enough. Zucker struggled and wasn’t that go-to goal scorer like he was in the past. Dumba couldn’t find his place from the get-go, so it was a challenging situation. Nonetheless, the rebuild is still on track despite the weak returns for all three players.
