The Chicago Blackhawks have unloaded Marian Hossa’s contract to the Arizona Coyotes in an seven-player trade.
Chicago traded Hossa’s contract along with forward Vinnie Hinostroza, defenseman Jordan Oesterle and a 2019 third-round pick to Arizona in exchange for forwards Marcus Kruger, MacKenzie Entwistle and Jordan Maletta and defenseman Andrew Campbell and a 2019 fifth-round pick.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet first reported Hossa and Hinostroza were part of the trade.
The move will frees up $8.5 million in salary cap space for Chicago.
The 39-year-old Hossa missed the 2017-18 NHL season due to a progressive skin disorder, meaning he’s allergic to his hockey equipment. He is signed for three more years with a $5.275 million salary cap hit.
Hossa won three Stanley Cups with Chicago after signing as a free agent in July 2009. He recorded several career milestones with the Hawks including his 1,000th career point against the Ottawa Senators in October 2014 and his 500th career NHL goal against Philadelphia in October 2016.
Hinostroza signed a two-year contract extension with a $1.5 million annual cap hit June 15. The 24-year-old is an undersized winger at 5-foot-9 and 173 pounds, but that hasn’t hampered his scoring ability. He scored seven goals and assisted on 18 others in 50 NHL games after starting the season with the Rockford IceHogs in the AHL. Chicago drafted him in the sixth round of the 2012 NHL draft and signed him to an entry-level contract after his sophomore season at Notre Dame.
Oesterle, 26, scored five goals and 15 points in 55 games last season for Chicago after signing a two-year contract as a free agent.
The biggest piece coming back for Chicago is Kruger, who won two Stanley Cups with the Hawks in 2013 and 2015. Chicago traded the Swedish center to the Vegas Golden Knights in July 2, 2017. Two days later, Vegas shipped him to the Carolina Hurricanes for a 2018 fifth-round pick. In May, Arizona acquired him for a 2018 third-rounder and forward Jordan Martinook.
MacKenzie Entwistle is a strong skating, power forward with a little offensive upside. He fell to the 3rd round (69th overall) in 2017 but was considered a potential late 1st/early 2nd round pick until he came down with Mono in the middle of his draft season.
— Tom Hunter (@PuckDontLie) July 12, 2018
Entwistle, 18, is a 6-foot-3, 174 pound right winger. He had 38 points (13 goals, 25 assists) in 49 regular-season games for the Hamilton Bulldogs in the OHL. He added 10 goals in 17 playoff games as the Bulldogs won the OHL championship.
Maletta, 23, also is a 6-3 right winger, but tips the scales at 216 pounds. The undrafted forward was signed by the Columbus Blue Jackets in March 2016, and battled a handy injury throughout the next season and tallied only four assists in 28 games. The Blue Jackets traded him to Arizona last February. He played only one game for Arizona’s AHL affiliate Tucson.
Campbell, 30, spent last season with the Roadrunners, recording six points (two goals, four assists) in 60 regular-season games. He added a goal and three helpers in nine playoff contests. He’s appeared in 42 NHL games with Los Angeles, Arizona and Toronto, posting only two assists. He was drafted by Los Angeles in the third round in 2008.
Arizona is no stranger to taking on large contracts in trades. The Coyotes acquired Pavel Datsyuk’s $7.5 million deal along with the No. 16 overall pick in the 2016 NHL draft, in exchange for the Nos. 20 and 53 picks, and Joe Vitale in order for Detroit to clear cap space just two years ago. Datsyuk left the NHL and signed a two-year deal with SKA Saint Petersburg of the KHL.