The Arizona Coyotes own Liam Kirk’s NHL rights for a few days under a year now (June 01, 2022).
Whilst other young players in the Coyotes organisation were given opportunities to play at the AHL or ECHL level or found homes in countries that managed to concoct a 2020-21 season, Kirk was left out in the wilderness.
It would remiss of me not to remind everyone that with Ontario Hockey League out of commission there were opportunities for players elsewhere. Signed and even unsigned prospects were penned to AHL ATO’s, ECHL deals or ventured overseas for a chance to get some valuable ice-time.
Liam Kirk’s ‘season’ consisted of a few weeks in Sweden’s third tier (an arrangement fixed by the Sheffield Steelers GM Aaron Fox) which was followed by a spell in the UK’s second tier and then a hastily arranged Elite League series which was essentially a prep for Great Britain’s players to gain ice-time before the most recent World Championships.
Despite minimal play for the last fifteen months, Kirk was the talk of the World Championships and at times dominated social media channels with his performances and goal-scoring achievements.
‘Liam Kirk – Excelling on the world stage’ https://wp.me/p2gDti-19T
Now the whole hockey world was taking more of an interest in Liam Kirk and this past Tuesday (June 15, 2021), Canadian broadcaster and renowned insider, Elliotte Friedman published the following quote in his ‘31 Thoughts’ column.
“Arizona Coyotes have given permission for other teams to talk to Liam Kirk. The Coyotes have his rights for another year, so a trade needs to be worked out. But Kirk can talk to other clubs.”
31 Thoughts – https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/31-thoughts-stanley-cup-playoffs-affect-blueliner-market/
This certainly gave hope that other NHL teams were interested in Liam but would he now be held to ransom?
Craig Morgan, the lead writer for AZCoyotesInsider.com and covers the Coyotes for NHL Network, tweeted this out the following day.
BBC reporter Peter Spencer spoke to Craig Morgan in a nine-minute interview and there was a little more information including the fact that talks had supposedly been held between Arizona GM Bill Armstrong and Liam Kirk regarding an Entry-Level contract.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p09lpc3n
It seems very strange and even somewhat perverse to allow other NHL teams to speak with a player you drafted if you intend to sign them.
Also it seems very odd to suddenly have a keen interest in signing a player following a World Championships.
Does that much of a small sample size really swing your judgment so far on whether to put pen to paper with a prospect? Baffling.
All the talk leading into the tournament and even during, was that European teams were scouting the GB forward and contacting his agent to discuss a contract for the 2021-22 campaign.
Liam Kirk sought by Swedish club – https://wp.me/p2gDti-17q
There’s no doubt that there is interest in Liam Kirk around the NHL, even if he is considered (and fairly) a fringe prospect at this doubt due to his small body of work in North America.
The Coyotes are of course well within their rights to garner as much as possible in a trade if other organisations are interested in attaining Kirk. That being said, just how much Arizona believes they can acquire in return for a fringe prospect who will be a free agent in under a year is questionable.
A conditional sixth or seventh perhaps?
I would be surprised if any NHL club would stump up much more for a prospect whose upside is very much unknown.
The NHL expansion draft is July 21, which is followed by the NHL Entry draft on July 23-24.
I expect that any signing or trade will happen between now and then as teams plan for the future.
Is it possible that Arizona will sign the Maltby native to an Entry-Level contract?
Yes, totally, but it seems the less likely option at this stage.
It’s time for Arizona to stick or twist in regards to Liam Kirk’s future.
UK Hockey Blog 