McKenzie: Feeling is Coyotes' Vermette "likely to be traded"

Bob McKenzie was on Vancouver’s TSN 1040 on Thursday afternoon.

On how teams will be lining up for Antoine Vermette:

“No question about it. There’s lots of interest in him. Now the interesting thing is – See, Don Maloney is very, very active right now. And he’s talking to all sorts of teams about all sorts of players. So he’s getting a market value on Vermette. He’s getting a market value on Hanzal. He’s getting a market value on Yandle. Mikkel Boedker. You name it, he’s finding out what’s the going rate for these players on the Phoenix Coyotes.

“He doesn’t have direction yet, in terms of which way the Coyotes are going. Do they have to offloading salary? Are they stripping it down? When is Andrew Barroway going to take over? Is Andrew Barroway going to take over? What does it mean kin terms of a philosophy? So I think he’s preparing for all scenarios.

“And don’t kid yourself. The notion that he would re-sign Antoine Vermette is not that far-fetched. But he has been talking to so many people about Vermette, the feeling is at some point he’s likely to be traded. And hey, I can tell you this: I do not believe Antoine Vermette is likely to be moved before the freeze tomorrow night. If he’s not signed by the deadline, for sure, for sure, for sure he’s going to move because the Coyotes are not an organization that can allow guys to walk to free agency and get nothing in return.

“But, I think there’s been considerable talks between Vermette and the Coyotes on a new contract, and that they know probably what it would take to get it done, and it’s just a matter of having more clarification from ownership in terms of where they’re heading long-term.”

Source: TSN 1040/ Transcript: Nichols on Hockey

Nichols on Hockey

Nichols on Hockey

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Nichols on Hockey

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