Shayne Gostisbehere is the latest defenseman to be moved, with the Arizona Coyotes trading him Wednesday to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick, sources confirmed to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan.
Gostisbehere was understood to be one of the players the Coyotes were looking at moving going into the NHL trade deadline, which is Friday. He presented potential suitors with a top-four or top-six puck-moving option who can facilitate a power-play unit. The 29-year-old, who is a pending unrestricted free agent, has 10 goals and 31 points in 52 games this season. His arrival now means the Hurricanes have a pair of puck-movers capable of orchestrating play in numerous situations in addition to what they have in Brent Burns.
As for the Coyotes, it’s possible this could be just the start of an active window. They have been involved in two trades already, but the expectation is there could be more to come, including moving defenseman Jakob Chychrun, who is one of the more prominent top-four options.
The Hurricanes will be the third team for Gostisbehere. He was drafted in 2012 by the Philadelphia Flyers and signed two contracts with them, totaling $31.2 million. He subsequently was derailed by injuries, the COVID-19 pandemic and a major change in direction with management.
After the 2021 season, Philadelphia — trying to trim some payroll — decided to dump Gostisbehere’s deal. And the Coyotes, who needed to get to the salary cap floor, were the strongest suitor. Nearly two seasons later, he is finally at the end of a deal that carries an average annual value of $4.5 million.
With rebuilding Arizona, Gostisbehere saw an increase in playing time, and as such, he rediscovered his offense. Last season, he finished with 14 goals and 51 points.
Wednesday’s trade was first reported by The Athletic.
