NHL Rumors: Arizona Coyotes Linked to San Jose Sharks Prospect

It was recently reported that San Jose Sharks prospect Ryan Merkley is looking for a change of scenery. The primary reason for this is that San Jose has not given him too many chances at the NHL level, so at the end of the day, it makes sense. With the Arizona Coyotes rebuilding, they could be the kind of club to take a chance on the former first-round pick.

The Coyotes have a weak defensive group, and that is likely to become even truer after the deadline. After all, Jakob Chychrun and Shayne Gostisbehere are their top defensemen, and they each are expected to be dealt. As a result, there could be plenty of openings for Merkley on their NHL squad if he is acquired.

Although Merkley has yet to develop into a full-time NHL defenseman, that certainly could change if he’s moved to Arizona. He still has the tools to potentially become a bottom-pairing, offensive defenseman at least, so let’s see if the Coyotes do in fact decide to make a legitimate push for him from here.