/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69595663/1232753552.0.jpg)
The Arizona Coyotes had a decision to make. They could only protect one goaltender, and they had to pick between Darcy Kuemper and Adin Hill. Today, Bill Armstrong made his decision, sending Adin Hill and a seventh-round pick to the San Jose Sharks for Josef Kořenář and a second.
ARI/SJ deal will be Adin Hill and a 7th for Josef Korenar and a 2nd. Both picks in 2022
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 17, 2021
The move may come as a surprise for many fans. The team clearly didn't want to lose Hill for nothing, and decided to get something back for him.
Hill was initially drafted by the Coyotes 76th overall at the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. He has played 49 games with the Desert Dogs, including a career-high 19 games last season, which saw him finish 9-9-1.
In exchange for Hill, the Coyotes have Josef Kořenář, a 23-year-old Czech goaltender who spent last season with the HC Ocelari Trinec in the Czech Republic, the San Jose Sharks, and the San Jose Barracuda.
In 10 games with the Sharks, he had a 3.17 goals-against average and a .899 save percentage. In eight games with the Barracuda, he had a 3.22 goals-against average and a .898 save percentage.
With Hill to the Sharks, the Coyotes are free to expose Kořenář. The real prize is the second-round pick, which is a good return for a goaltender, especially an unproven goaltender like Hill.