The first round of the 2012 NHL Draft is in the books on Friday night. The Phoenix Coyotes, however, found themselves with one more player than they perhaps had expected when the night began. Just a short while after the Yotes selected center/winger Henrik Samuelsson as the No. 27 overall pick, they completed a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins that brings defenseman Zbynek Michalek to the team.
In exchange for Michalek, the Pens will receive the No. 81 overall pick in the draft, goaltender Marc Cheverie and defensive prospect Harrison Ruopp. Travis Hughes of SB Nation had this to say about the deal:
It could be seen as a salary cap dump for the Pens, who seem poised to make another big splash either at the Draft on Saturday or at some point before or on July 1. Michalek earns $4 million against the salary cap each season until 2014-15, and by not taking any NHL salary back in return, the Pens have plenty of room to work with now.
This is potentially a smart move by the Coyotes, who may view Michalek as just as good an option as they would have received by the time the No. 81 pick rolled around.
For continued coverage of the 2012 NHL Draft, stick with this StoryStream. For full time news and analysis about the Phoenix Coyotes, check out Five For Howling.
