The Arizona Coyotes have traded forward Anthony Duclair and defenceman Adam Clendening to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for forwards Richard Panik, and Laurent Dauphin. The move comes about a week after it was revealed that Duclair had requested a trade from the team. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedmann was first on the story.
Hearing CHI/ARIZ working on an Anthony Duclair deal
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) January 10, 2018
Believe the trade is: Panik and Dauphin for Duclair and Clendening.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) January 10, 2018
Arizona Coyotes trade Anthony Duclair to the Chicago Blackhawks
Duclair, 22, has scored nine goals and six assists for 15 points in 33 games this season. Over his four-year NHL career, Duclair has played for the Coyotes and the New York Rangers. He has put up 35 goals and 46 assists for 81 career points in 190 career games. He was originally drafted in the third-round, 80th overall of the 2013 NHL Draft by the Rangers.
Clendening, 25, has two assists in five games this year. Over his four-year NHL career, he has played for the Blackhawks, Coyotes, Vancouver Canucks, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Edmonton Oilers. He has put up four goals and 24 points in 86 career NHL games. Clendening was originally drafted in the 2nd round, 36th overall of the 2011 NHL Draft by the Blackhawks.
Panik, 26, has six goals and 16 points in 37 games this season. Over his six-year NHL career he has played for the Blackhawks, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Toronto Maple Leafs. Panik has 53 goals and 107 points in 300 career NHL games.
Dauphin, 22, has not played in the NHL this season. He has four goals and 14 points in 33 games with the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs. Dauphin has three goals and four points in 32 career NHL games, playing games with the Coyotes in parts of the last two seasons. Chicago sends him back to the club that drafted him in the second round, 39th overall at the 2013 NHL Draft.
New Beginnings
The Blackhawks will try to get more out of Duclair than the Coyotes have been able to. While he had a promising rookie season with 20 goals and 44 points, he has struggled over the last two years. They also get a defenceman who may be able to slide into their bottom pair, after Cody Franson was waived earlier in the week.
Meanwhile the Coyotes pick-up a prospect they are familiar with in Dauphin, as well as a forward with experience and similar numbers to Duclair in Panik. Panik’s contract for this year and next at a $2.8 million AAV was seen as a bit too much in cap-strapped Chicago, but is not a problem for the Coyotes.