NHL Rumors: Florida Panthers trade Dave Bolland and Lawson Crouse to Arizona Coyotes

The Florida Panthers have reportedly traded Dave Bolland and Lawson Crouse to the Arizona Coyotes for a second and third-round pick. 

Two of the most active teams during the NHL offseason have been the Florida Panthers and the Arizona Coyotes. So it comes as little surprise that the two teams decided to make a trade. According to Elliotte Friedman, the Panthers will send Dave Bolland and 2015 first-round pick Lawson Crouse to the Coyotes for a 2018 conditional pick and a 2017 third. If Crouse doesn’t play in Arizona this season, the conditional pick will also be a third-rounder. Should Crouse play in Arizona, however, that pick becomes a second-rounder.

This creates more cap flexibility for the Panthers, as they shed Bolland’s contract. They also get a decent return for Crouse, whom their new front office did not like. In the end, it’s better to admit you might’ve made a mistake — and get a decent return — than to hold on to one and get much less.

The Coyotes, meanwhile, get rewarded for taking on the rest of Bolland’s contract. Bolland is due $5.5 million a year for the next three years, but he will likely spend the next three years on the long-term injured reserve list. If that’s the case, his cap hit will not count against the salary cap except during the offseason.

Arizona gets a nice prospect in Crouse. He was the 11th overall pick at the 2015 NHL Draft. Crouse is a huge prospect who had 62 points in 49 games last season for the Kingston Frontenacs. He projects to be a power forward in the NHL. If his offense develops, his ceiling is a second line forward. Crouse will likely get a chance to show what he can do during the preseason. It wouldn’t be surprising if he makes the Coyotes roster out of training camp.