The Arizona Coyotes acquired the contract of another injured player on Thursday, that of Columbus Blue Jackets forward Jakub Voracek, whose career is possibly over.
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As confirmed by both teams, the Jackets received goaltender Jon Gillies for Voracek and a sixth-round pick in the 2023 draft. The 33-year-old Czech commands a salary of $8.25 million for this season and next.
The right winger has been sidelined since November 4 with another concussion. A month later, the principal concerned admitted that his chances of playing again in the National Hockey League (NHL) were slim.
Author of six points in 11 games in 2022-2023, Voracek was one of the most productive players of the 2010s, when he wore the uniform of the Philadelphia Flyers. Last year, he returned to the Jackets, the team that selected him seventh overall at the 2007 amateur auction.
Along with Rick Nash and Derick Brassard, Voracek is also one of the only players drafted by Columbus to have reached the 1,000 game mark. He played 1058, amassing 806 points in the process.
Gillies, meanwhile, hasn’t played in the NHL this season, but has 32 games experience at that level. The 29-year-old doorman has notably defended the colors of the Calgary Flames, the St. Louis Blues and the New Jersey Devils.
The Coyotes’ long-term injured list and withheld salaries now account for about 35% of their payroll. Shea Weber, Andrew Ladd and Bryan Little are other players whose pacts ended up in Arizona.