The first semi-big name on the NHL trade deadline block is off the board.
Coyotes trade Michael Stone to Flames for draft picks
Calgary shores up its blue line.
Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
The Calgary Flames acquired defenseman Michael Stone from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for Calgary’s 2017 third-round draft pick and a conditional fifth-round pick in 2018. The deal is already official, as the two teams made their trade call with the league office Monday afternoon.
That fifth-rounder only gets sent to Arizona if Stone, a pending unrestricted free agent, re-signs with the Flames after July 1. Arizona is retaining 50 percent of his $4 million cap hit this year.
TSN’s Bob McKenzie first reported the trade during the official trade call with the league.
At 50% retained, Stone's $4,000,000 cap hit will only cost the #Flames $544,444 in cap space for the rest of the season.
— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) February 20, 2017
Stone returned from a torn ACL and MCL in October and has struggled to regain his form since then. The 26-year-old has just nine points in 45 games and the worst shot differential on the Coyotes.
Calgary’s biggest need before the trade deadline was someone who could fill in as a top-four defenseman. Dennis Wideman’s regression has hurt the team, and neither Jyrki Jokipakka nor Deryk Engelland have stepped up.
Stone will slot in nicely as the Flames try to keep control of the final wild card berth in the Western Conference.
The rebuilding Coyotes, meanwhile, probably aren’t done shopping free agents. Arizona now has four picks in the first three rounds of the 2017 NHL draft.
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