The Arizona Coyotes are struggling to score and are quickly falling out of the Western Conference playoff race in the early days of the NHL season. As the team looks to jump-start rebuilding, veteran players will very likely be moved in return for assets such as draft picks and prospects. One player who will be very attractive to contending team is center Antoine Vermette, who is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year.

Vermette is the prototypical second-line center teams looking to make a playoff run salivate over. His 16 points are tied for the team lead, which is an indictment of how bad this offense has been this year, and would surely slot in well with any one of a number of playoff teams. The fact the 32-year-old Vermette happens to be an adept penalty killer and is able to contribute in seemingly all facets of the game surely makes him even more attractive to potential suitors. Vermette also has plenty of playoff experience with 58 games under his belt, including the Coyotes’ Western Conference Finals appearance in 2012 and a run to the 2007 Stanley Cup Final as a member of the Ottawa Senators.

By sending Vermette out of town, the Coyotes would get pieces to add to their rebuild while at the same time opening up ice time for younger players. While the team would never admit to it, trading Vermette away makes this team worse and gives them a better chance at a higher draft pick. With three possible franchise type talents at the top of the draft, the road to the top might just run through the bottom for Arizona.

Moving on is beneficial for both parties at this juncture, as keeping Vermette around during a lost season and possibly losing him for nothing as a free agent is pointless. For a veteran like Vermette, the possibility of winning that elusive Stanley Cup is well-worth leaving the deserts of Arizona behind.

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