Saturday's NHL: Coyotes trade Stepan to Senators; Blackhawks agree with Soderberg

Glendale, Ariz. — The Arizona Coyotes have traded veteran center Derek Stepan to the Ottawa Senators for a second-round pick in the 2021 NHL draft.

“On behalf of the entire Coyotes organization, I would like to thank Derek for everything he did for the Coyotes the past three seasons,” Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong said in a statement Saturday night. “Derek is the consummate professional and a class act. We wish him and his family all the best in the future.”

Stepan played three seasons with the Coyotes, providing scoring and a veteran influence in the locker room. The 30-year-old had 10 goals and 18 assists last season while helping Arizona earn its first postseason appearance since 2012.

Stepan had 39 goals and 80 assists in 224 games in three seasons with the Coyotes. He spent his first seven seasons with the New York Rangers and has 167 goals and 232 assists in 10 career NHL seasons.

Blackhawks sign Soderberg

The Chicago Blackhawks and free-agent center Carl Soderberg have agreed to a $1 million, one-year contract, bolstering the team’s forward depth after it lost Kirby Dach and Alex Nylander to injuries.

The 35-year-old Soderberg had 17 goals and 18 assists in 70 games for Arizona last season. Soderberg, listed at 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, also appeared in nine postseason games, collecting a goal and an assist.

“Carl is an experienced center who plays a strong two-way game and adds an element of size to our group of centermen,” president of hockey operations Stan Bowman said Saturday in a statement. “He has shown the ability to score and match up, which is critical in today’s game, and he also brings consistency and versatility to the team, evidenced by his usage on both special teams as well as even-strength play.”

Soderberg made his NHL debut in 2013 with Boston. He has 103 goals and 177 assists in 552 regular-season games with the Bruins, Avalanche and Coyotes.

Soderberg finished with at least 35 points in each of the past three seasons. He scored a career-high 23 goals during the 2018-19 season with Colorado.

Soderberg could help make up for the loss of Dach, who injured his right wrist while playing for Canada’s world junior team during an exhibition against Russia on Wednesday night. Dach was headed back to Chicago for evaluation, and there was no word from the team about how long he might be out.

Nylander, another young forward, could miss the entire 2021 season because of a left knee injury. Nylander had surgery Monday to repair a meniscus tear in his left knee.