Coyotes making moves...for the future

Hockey Betting Lines

02/21/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - If things are going to get better in Phoenix, it's probably about time some new Coyotes start running with the pack.

The Phoenix Coyotes have been making moves over the last two weeks and one of them involved the jettison of forward Ladislav Nagy, who at the time of the trade was the team's leading scorer. Nagy was dealt to the Dallas Stars last Monday.

Nagy skated in 55 games with Phoenix this year and had eight goals and a then team-high 33 assists for a team-leading 41 points. In six seasons with Phoenix, Nagy had 92 goals and 157 assists in 321 games.

In return, Phoenix received left wing Mathias Tjarnqvist and a first-round pick in the 2007 draft. Tjarnqvist had just one goal and three assists in 18 games with the Stars this year, but already has a tally and a helper in four games with Phoenix.

The move made sense for the Coyotes, who are currently riding a six-game losing streak and have just three more points than Los Angeles, which is dead last in the Western Conference.

Nagy is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason and thanks to the trade, Phoenix will now have two first-round picks in the upcoming NHL draft.

Just three days later, the Coyotes made a move to shorten the rebuilding process by signing captain Shane Doan to a five-year contract extension. The 31-year-old has 19 goals and 17 assists for a team-best 36 points for Phoenix.

The move will certainly help the Coyotes keep their fan base interested during their rebuilding process. The club drafted Doan in 1995 when it was still in Winnipeg, and the Alberta native is the only player on the roster that made the move to Phoenix when the club relocated in 1996.

"Shane is the face of our franchise and our best player. He is a great captain and leader and an even better person," said Coyotes' managing partner/head coach Wayne Gretzky in making the announcement of the extension. "He has a great work ethic, plays hard every night and is one of our most active players in the community. We are thrilled to have him in a Coyotes uniform for the next five years."

Phoenix later made a set of smaller moves when it re-signed goaltender Mikael Tellqvist and center Mike Zigomanis to two-year contracts.

However, these moves are most certainly just the first of more to come. It is possible Gretzky will not be back next year as head coach. In Gretzky's first year as head coach last season, the Coyotes finished last in the Pacific with 81 points. The club has just 53 points through 60 games this campaign.

Also, center Jeremy Roenick, who signed a one-year deal this past offseason to return to the club, could retire at season's end. Roenick, though, has just seven goals this season, leaving him nine shy of 500 for his career. If he doesn't reach that milestone this year, it could motivate him to come back for another year, but probably not with Phoenix.

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