Hurricanes add puck-moving defenseman in pre-deadline trade with Arizona Coyotes
The Carolina Hurricanes made another deal on Wednesday.
One day after the club acquired winger Jesse Puljujarvi from the Edmonton Oilers, the Canes pulled the trigger on a deal with the Arizona Coyotes, acquiring defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere for a 2026 third-round draft pick, the teams confirmed Wednesday.
The 29-year-old defender, a nine-year NHL veteran who spent his first seven years with the Philadelphia Flyers, has 10 goals and 21 assists in 52 games with the Coyotes this season. He had 14 goals and 37 assists a year ago.
“Shayne is a smooth-skating, puck-moving defenseman,” Canes president and general manager Don Waddell said in a statement. “We think his offensive skill set and veteran presence will help bolster our blueline.”
Gostisbehere suffered an upper-body injury Jan. 24 against the Anaheim Ducks. He initially was expected to miss four to six weeks but returned Feb. 19 against Columbus.
In his most productive season, with the Flyers in 2017-18, Gostisbehere racked up 13 goals and 52 assists, many on the power play.
Gostisbehere, who has 515 games of NHL experience, will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.
A native of Pembroke Pines, Florida, Gostisbehere was a third-round pick by the Flyers in the 2012 NHL draft and played three years of NCAA hockey at Union College before turning professional.
The Hurricanes, who played in Las Vegas against the Golden Knights on Wednesday, face the Coyotes in a road game on Friday.
Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour, asked Wednesday about Puljujarvi after the Canes’ morning skate, said he was not sure when the Finnish forward would join the team.
Brind’Amour said he knew little about Puljujarvi, saying, “Sometimes it’s better not to know too much about a guy, especially in a situation where he’s coming in fresh and we want to give him every opportunity to start over.
“I know it didn’t go very well in his last stop (Edmonton). We’re giving him another opportunity. The hard part is coming into a new system and it takes time for guys get adjusted to all that, let alone the move and you’re changing your whole life overnight.”
This story was originally published March 1, 2023 at 4:59 PM.
