The Chicago Blackhawks were never serious players to acquire Arizona Coyotes center Martin Hanzal this month, reports ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun. The Coyotes traded Hanzal to the Minnesota Wild on Sunday for a big package headlined by a first-round pick.
Hanzal was considered one of the top players on the market before the March 1 trade deadline. The towering 6’6 center has put up a career-high 16 goals in 51 games, and with an expiring contract, the Coyotes were set to lose him at the end of the season anyway.