Blockbuster Trade Could Begin a New Era for the Arizona Coyotes

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TJ Tucker
May 18, 2023 (11:04)

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While we know the Arizona Coyotes will remain at Mullett Arena in Tempe for the 2023-24 season, what we don't know is what will happen after that. The team's fate is up in the air after losing a vote that would have seen a new 16,000 seat arena and entertainment district built in Tempe. One person has made a proposal that he believes would keep the Coyotes in Arizona.

The Trade

The proposed trade is as follows:

The Toronto Maple Leafs send Auston Matthews to his home state. In return, the Maple Leafs get former 7th overall pick Clayton Keller, forward Nick Schmaltz, the 6th overall pick in 2023, and two 2nd round picks in 2024. MBonHockey, which proposed the trade, believes this would seal the deal for Arizona to stay where they are.

"Getting the hometown superstar greatly improves the odds of a new arena being approved or even better the Suns owner Matt Ishbia buying the team or letting them play in the same building. As a result they need to get pretty desperate with this trade, losing it by a decent margin, a cost they're willing to pay to keep their team there."

The Reaction

Reaction to the proposal is, of course, mixed. Some feel the Coyotes would be giving up too much, while others believe the Leafs are getting robbed. The Instagram account Leafs Latest said the idea was "too funny not to share," and called it "awful."