Blackhawks unload Hossa’s contract in trade with Coyotes
CHICAGO — The Chicago Blackhawks traded Marian Hossa and Vinnie Hinostroza to the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday, parting with a promising young forward in order to clear out a troublesome contract.
The Blackhawks also sent defenceman Jordan Oesterle and a third-round pick in the 2019 draft to the Coyotes for forwards Marcus Kruger, MacKenzie Entwistle and Jordan Maletta, defenceman Andrew Campbell and a fifth-round pick in next year’s draft.
Kruger broke into the NHL with Chicago and spent his first seven seasons with the Blackhawks before he was traded to Vegas last July. The expansion Golden Knights then flipped him to Carolina for a fifthround pick, and he struggled in his only season with the Hurricanes before he was dealt to Arizona in May.
The 39-year-old Hossa did not play last season because of severe side effects from medication to treat a progressive skin disorder. He isn’t expected to play again, but he is signed through the 2020-21 season at a $5.275 million cap hit.
Hossa agreed to a $63.3 million, 12-year deal with Chicago in 2009, and the winger played a crucial role in the Blackhawks going from a promising young team to a run of three Stanley Cup titles in six seasons. But Chicago missed the playoffs last season for the first time in a decade, and the additional cap space created by the trade could pave the way for some pricey help via trade, perhaps for the Blackhawks’ beleaguered defensive pairings.
“Marian’s long-term contributions to the club will never be forgotten,” the team said in a statement.
The trade gets Hossa’s contract off Chicago’s books, but it comes at a cost. Hinostroza, a 24-year-old Chicago native, set career highs with seven goals and 18 assists in 50 games last season.
“I think he plays at a super high pace, one of the highest paces in the league,” Coyotes GM John Chayka said during a conference call. “He’s skilled, he’s smart and he reads the play extremely well. He gets out in open ice and he makes a lot of things happen. He’s constantly on the puck, constantly pressuring the puck.”