NHL Rumors: Arizona Coyotes To Trade Forward

The Arizona Coyotes are expected to trade Travis Boyd, according to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period.

After years of being a depth forward, Boyd has truly been blossoming before our very eyes this campaign. Arizona's rebuilding roster has allowed him to not only be a regular in the lineup but also receive a plethora of playing time in the process. As a result of this, he is having himself a very good season offensively. In 32 games thus far, he has 10 goals to go along with nine assists.

The Coyotes currently have a 10-26-4 record, so they won't be in the playoffs this year. Boyd has an expiring contract and is having a career year, so he naturally is trade bait at this juncture. With the Coyotes in the middle of a rebuild, it makes sense for them to receive assets for the 28-year-old forward.

If Boyd can continue to play this well, he should be a good option for a team's third line at a minimum. He can provide very solid depth scoring, and the Coyotes should take advantage of his higher trade value. Playoff teams are always in need of versatile forwards, too.

Alas, when it comes to Boyd, a trade seems more like a "not if but when" kind of situation. We'll have to keep an eye on this as we get closer to the deadline.