The Coyotes made crystal clear on Friday their eyes are on the future in building a winning team.
Just a few hours before the start of the NHL draft, the Coyotes traded team captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson and dynamic forward Conor Garland to the Vancouver Canucks for the ninth overall pick in the draft and three veterans heading into the final years of their contracts.
Arizona also received a second-round pick in 2022 and a seventh-round pick in 2023, while agreeing to take on 12 percent of Ekman-Larsson's remaining salary, per a report from NHL insider Elliotte Friedman.