Coyotes send Gagner to Flyers for package including Pronger's contract
The Arizona Coyotes traded forward Sam Gagner and a draft pick to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday for defenseman Nicklas Grossmann and the contract of defenseman Chris Pronger.
The draft pick will be a conditional fourth-round pick in 2016 or a third-rounder in 2017.
Gagner had 15 goals and 26 assists in 81 games after being traded to Arizona from Tampa Bay before last season. Philadelphia general manager Ron Hextall would not say if the Flyers planned to keep Gagner or buy out his contract.
''We're going to look at all of our options over the next few days and we'll make the decisions we have to make,'' Hextall said.
Grossman had five goals and nine assists in 68 games with the Flyers last season. The Swedish player has 10 goals and 69 assists in 531 career NHL games with Philadelphia and Dallas.
''He's a big defender and a hard defender and a very good penalty killer,'' Coyotes general manager Don Maloney said. ''(Coach) Dave Tippett knows and likes him.''
A former winner of the Hart and Norris trophies, Pronger has not played since 2011-12, when he appeared in 13 games with the Flyers.
The move allows Philadelphia to trim salary to get under the new salary cap and brings the Coyotes closer to the lower cap limit.
''It's the type of deal that works for both teams." Hextall said. "I don't think Arizona's going to be up against the top and we are, and it's a deal that they get a good player and finally we get some cap relief, so it's one of those deals that works for both teams, and it certainly gets us going in the right direction."
