Arizona and San Jose Swap Rookie Goalies

Well, those Darcy Kuemper trade rumors can be put to rest. The Arizona Coyotes have traded goaltender Adin Hill and a 2022 7th round pick to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Josef Korenar and a 2022 2nd round pick. Adin Hill was expected to be the goalie Arizona included in their protected list, preventing him from being claimed by Seattle in the upcoming expansion draft. This fueled speculation that Darcy Kuemper might be on the trade block, as protecting Hill would mean leaving Kuemper exposed. This trade implies that Kuemper will be the Coyotes protected netminder.

Adin Hill was drafted 76th overall by the Coyotes in 2015. He's played the backup and third-string role for the team for the last three seasons, with both Antti Raanta and Darcy Kuemper missing long stretches with injuries in that time. Hill finished last season with a 2.74 GAA and a .913 sv%. Hill is an RFA this summer and will need to be re-signed by the Sharks.

Josef Korenar meanwhile was an undrafted Czech goaltender who signed an ELC with the Sharks in 2017. He currently makes $750k for one more season. Korenar started 8 games with San Jose last season, winning 3 and putting up a 3.17 GAA and a .899sv%. At 23 years old, Korenar has plenty of room to grow into an NHL role, and will probably end up getting steady playtime behind the Coyotes injury-prone tandem.

What do you think about this trade between the Coyotes and Sharks?

Photo credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports