Agent for Vermette, Michalek expects trades; offseason return possible
Allan Walsh had just set his phone down after a long call on Thursday at his office when it began to chirp incessantly with text messages, voice mails and emails from reporters, team executives and others wanting to talk about the NHL trade deadline.
"Everyone around me was watching it go 'ding, ding, ding,' " Walsh said, laughing.
Walsh is playing a role in the Coyotes' future this weekend. As the agent for Arizona's top two impending free agents, center Antoine Vermette and defenseman Zbynek Michalek, Walsh is keeping tabs on the trade possibilities for Arizona's two most-likely-to-be-moved assets.
Walsh obviously isn't dictating terms, and Coyotes general manager Don Maloney isn't filling him on any every possibility. He's too busy for that; having flown back to the Valley on Friday along with assistant GM Darcy Regier to mull the host of offers coming their way.
But Walsh is tapped in enough to know which rumors are real and which are not, even if he isn't willing to divulge which is which.
"You don't know but you kind of know," Walsh said Friday morning as rumors swirled about Vermette and Michalek. "When you read and hear things, you know what's really happening and what's not happening."
Chicago, Boston, the New York Rangers, Winnipeg, Anaheim and Detroit are or were among the teams reported to be interested in Vermette, who was on the ice for Coyotes practice on Friday.
Coyotes (20-35-7) at Bruins (29-22-9)
When: Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
Where: TD Garden, Boston
TV: FOX Sports Arizona
Season series: Bruins lead, 1-0
Injuries: Arizona -- F Mikkel Boedker (splenectomy) is out indefinitely. C Martin Hanzal (back surgery) is likely out for the season. D Zbynek Michalek (upper body) is day to day. Boston -- F David Krejci (partially torn MCL) is on long-term injured reserve. D Kevan Miller (right shoulder surgery) is out for the season. F Greg Campbell (upper body) is out at least a few more days.
Quick facts: The Bruins placed forward David Krejci and defenseman Kevan Miller on long-term injured reserve, giving GM Peter Chiarelli about $6 million in salary-cap flexibility prior to Monday's trade deadline. Miller is out for the season, but if Chiarelli acquires players and Krejci returns before the playoffs, Boston must be cap compliant. ... Boston is in a dogfight with Florida, Philadelphia and Ottawa for the sole remaining playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The four teams are separated by five points for the East's eighth spot. ... Once secure in playoff position, Boston has lost eight of 10 games in February while earning just six points (2-6-2). ... Center Patrice Bergeron leads the club with 42 points (17 goals).
Tampa, Chicago, Anaheim, Detroit and St. Louis are or were among the teams reported to be interested in Michalek, who has a limited no-trade clause (negotiated while with Pittsburgh), which means there are certain teams to which the Coyotes could not trade him unless he agreed to waive the clause.
Based on Maloney's stance, Walsh expects both players to be traded. In that sense, he's happy for his clients that the March 2 trade deadline is near.
"Players who have been in the league a while now have been through many trade deadlines and seen players get traded, so they understand it's a business," Walsh said. "But having the process drag out now for several months and having to answer the same questions in every city, you grow weary of that, and it can wear you down a bit off the ice."
The wear and tear has been obvious with Vermette, who hasn't even talked to reporters on several occasions recently. Michalek is still recovering from an upper-body injury, believed to be a concussion, so he has not addressed reporters recently.
Despite reports swirling that the Blackhawks were trying to get a deal done Friday, Walsh said he had no idea if anything was imminent, but he did want Coyotes fans to know one thing about both of his clients.
"Hypothetically speaking, let's assume both are moved before the deadline," Walsh said. "Nothing would prevent them from potentially coming back here in the summer. It's never been discussed or explored, but they both really enjoy playing here, and certainly no doors would be closed."
It's hard to envision the Coyotes paying the sort of price that Vermette will command on the open market, but a Michalek return at reduced price isn't out of the question. The Coyotes have a young blue line that could use some veteran guidance.
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