Friday’s roundup: Coyotes land Stepan, Raanta
The Coyotes have acquired center Derek Stepan and goalie Antti Raanta from the New York Rangers for defenseman Anthony DeAngelo and the seventh overall pick in this year’s draft.
The Coyotes have made massive changes since Andrew Barroway became sole owner earlier this month, trading away No. 1 goalie Mike Smith, parting ways with coach Dave Tippett and opting not to offer captain Shane Doan a contract. Arizona also acquired defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson from Chicago earlier Friday.
Stepan and Raanta should address two big needs.
The 27-year-old Stepan had 17 goals and 38 assists in 81 games with the Rangers last season. Arizona has lacked a true top-line center for years and is hoping Stepan can fill that void.
“We are thrilled to acquire Derek,” Coyotes GM John Chayka said in a statement. “Our organization has been searching for a true number one center for over a decade and we are confident that he can be that for us.”
Raanta went 16-8-2 in 30 games, with four shutouts and a 2.26 goals-against average in 30 games as Henrik Lundqvist’s backup. He will get a chance to be Arizona’s No. 1 goalie after Smith was traded to Calgary last weekend.
“Antti is a highly skilled, athletic goaltender,” Chayka said. “We’re confident that he can emerge as an excellent starting goalie for us.”
DeAngelo had five goals and nine assists in 39 games last season, his first in the NHL. The Rangers now have the No. 7 and No. 21 picks as GM Jeff Gorton tries to find the right formula.
The Coyotes also acquired Niklas Hjalmarsson in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday, adding a dependable defenseman.
The 30-year-old Hjalmarsson had spent his entire 10-year career with Chicago, helping the Blackhawks to three Stanley Cup titles. The Swede had five goals, 13 assists and a team-high 181 blocked shots in 73 games last season.
Chicago received defenseman Connor Murphy and forward Laurent Dauphin in the deal announced hours before the start of the NHL draft. It also creates valuable cap space for the Blackhawks.
“We are very pleased to acquire Niklas,” Chayka said in a statement. “He’s an elite player and one of the NHL’s top defenseman. He’s a warrior who played a key role in Chicago’s last three Stanley Cup wins. We are thrilled to have him join our team.”
The 24-year-old Murphy had two goals and a career-high 15 assists in 77 games with Arizona last season. Dauphin, 22, has appeared in 32 NHL games over the last two seasons.
Hjalmarsson gives Arizona more stability on the back end after it traded away No. 1 goalie Mike Smith last weekend.
Hjalmarsson, a fourth-round pick in the 2005 draft, had 23 goals and 120 assists in 623 career games with Chicago. He also holds the franchise record for most playoff games played by a defenseman at 128.
Blue Jackets deal for center
The Columbus Blue Jackets acquired center Jordan Schroeder in a trade with the Minnesota Wild.
In exchange for the 26-year-old Schroeder, the Wild on Friday got minor-league center Dante Salituro.
Schroeder played in 37 games for the Wild last season, recording six goals and seven assists. He has 17 goals and 23 assists in 144 career NHL games with the Wild and Vancouver Canucks since making his NHL debut in 2012-13.
It was the second trade of the day announced by the Blue Jackets. They also got forward Artemi Panarin, minor-league forward Tyler Motte, a draft pick for forward Brandon Saad (Saginaw), minor-league goaltender Anton Forsberg and a 2018 draft pick.