Arrivals: (F) John Moore, (F) Anthony Duclair, (F) Maxim Letunov, (D) Klas Dahlbeck, (G) Dave Leggio, 2015 1st- and 2nd-round picks, 2016 conditional 1st-round pick
Departures: (D) Keith Yandle, (D) Zbynek Michalek, (F) Antoine Vermette, (F) Mark Louis, 2015 4th-round pick, undetermined conditional pick
The ‘Yotes did well for themselves in the "Collapse for Connor" sweepstakes. Sure, they have to take on half of the departed Keith Yandle $5.3-million contract and Zbynek Michalek's $4-million cap hit, but their returns alone is a win for a team looking to save money and add talent.
John Moore fell out of favor with Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault -- in his limited role, Moore saw majority of his zone starts away from his own net and led the Rangers in shots for percentage (SF%). He was second in Corsi For percentage (CF%), too.
Anthony Duclair was also acquired in the Keith Yandle trade, and is considered one of the best prospects in hockey. Much like Moore, Duclair purposely spent a lot of time in the offensive zone. Moore and fellow rookie Kevin Hayes were the only two to start less often than Duclair in the defensive zone.
In 18 games, Duclair collected one goal and seven points for the Blueshirts. He will be given a chance to earn top nine minutes on a team without its better plays such as Mikkel Boedker and Martin Hanzal.
The Coyotes also acquired a solid young defenseman from the Chicago Blackhawks. Klas Dahlbeck was on the top pairing of Chicago’s top minor league affiliate in Rockford, a team ranked third in the American Hockey League in Fenwick Close. Dahlbeck fell down the defensemen depth chart in Rockford and will benefit by a change of scenery. He’s steady, good with the puck and defensively responsible. Dahlbeck and a first-round pick is a great haul for a player that Arizona had no hopes of keeping.
Maxim Letunov is a long-term prospect who currently plays for Youngstown of the United States Hockey League.