Everyone was looking at the Coyotes as buyers of a guy or two at the deadline. We needed another solid defenseman and maybe a forward that could help on the power play a little bit. I don't think there was anyone outside the Coyotes front office that thought the Coyotes would make a total of seven deals getting five NHL level players and a few AHL ones. With the moves they did make though, the Coyotes are certainly even more dangerous than they were earlier this morning. Let's run through them one more time and I'll add in all the little deals too.

Derek Morris from Boston for a Conditional 2010 draft pick. The pick, it looks like is a 4th if we aren't able to re-sign DMo and a 3rd if we do. This move was a solid win as we needed to add someone on the defensive end for the playoff run and Morris does that with as little disruption as possible. While the team certainly looks different than it did in the past when he was here, he's also on a competent team here with a solid system. 

Wojtek Wolski for Peter Mueller and Kevin Porter. - I think we still win this one. If Avs fans thought Wolski was underachieving and playing poorly with 17-30-47, then they should REALLY think Mueller is with 4-13-17. I don't like giving up on Peter Mueller, but he had plenty of chances to improve and couldn't come through. Don Maloney said on local radio that earlier this year Mueller actually requested to be traded. Well he got his wish. The part I really don't like is that we also had to give up Kevin Porter in the deal too. Porter hadn't been able stick on the big team, but showed a lot of promise and was a Hobey Baker winner in College. But Wolski in return was too good to pass up. He's only 23, has consistently put up over 40 points a year and has the potential to do more.

The other trades after the jump...

We picked up veteran defenseman Mathieu Schnieder from the Vancouver Canucks for Sean Zimmerman and a conditional 6th round pick. The Pick is conditional on Schneider clearing re-entry waivers. Zimmerman was a decent player in San Antonio, but had never done well enough to warrant a look in the NHL. He came close in camp a couple of times but he's a player with a level of talent that can be fairly easily replaced. Schneider is a veteran presence that has been to the playoffs plenty of times. He's also big on the power play which is something the Coyotes could desperately use.

Move FOUR of the day saw us get Lee Stempniak from the Toronto Maple Leafs for defenseman Matt Jones and this year's 4th and 7th round picks. Julian from Pension Plan Puppets says that he's Hard working, hits, hustles and puts in a good all around effort, but also said not to expect goals. Jones is a good, but again, replaceble prospect that had a few games to try and break into the NHL, but never quite could. As with many of the moves today it gives more prospects more playing time to develop in the AHL. Though really Jones hadn't played all year and this is just us dumping contracts on Brian Burke. Thanks again Brian!

Move five got us Winger Alex Picard from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for former Michigan Wolverine Chad Kolarik. Note, this is NOT the same Alex Picard that now plays for Carolina. Kolarik hadn't really made any moves that made it seem like he was going to be a big time NHLer any time soon. While he's another prospect that was highly touted, it's mostly a lateral move. Picard is... I dunno what the hell he is. He's no Jean-Luc though. He's got 0 goals, 0 assists and is a minus 3 in 9 games with Columbus this year. Hockey's Future gives him a D, which means... whatever. Though they say he has good hands and is a physical player.

Six. Dumping Anders Eriksson on the Rangers for a prospect Goalie named Miika Wiikman. Also in that deal we get some extra consonants to insert in his name and a 2011 7th round pick. Eriksson wasn't going to be playing anymore and we got actually some good stuff. A pick would have been fine, but we get an AHL goaltender which the system needed when the Ducks dumped Justin Pogge.

Finally! The Seventh move of the day. Petteri Nokelainen from the Ducks for a 6th round pick in this year's draft. Well, at least we only have to go to the first day and a half of the draft since our late round picks are gone. Nokelainen is 4-7-11 in 50 games with the Ducks this year, so I'm not really sure what we're doing there. Maybe more AHL players? Color me confused. 

In Summary:

We get: Derek Morris, Mathieu Schneider, Wojtek Wolski, Lee Stempniak, Alexandre Picard, Miika Wiikman and Petteri Nokelainen

We gave up: Peter Mueller, Kevin Porter, Chad Kolarik, Anders Eriksson, Matt Jones, Sean Zimmerman a 2011 3rd or 4th and 2010 4th, two 6ths and a 7th.

Gotta say, that's looking like a big win for us on the day. GM Don Maloney took all that buyer talk as serious business. I like it. Buying is fun!