The Arizona Coyotes had high hopes for several rookies coming into 2015-16. One of those rookies was Swedish blue liner Klas Dahlbeck.
The twenty-four-year-old defenseman was acquired along with a first round pick from the Blackhawks in the trade that sent Antoine Vermette to Chicago. Vermette won the Stanley Cup during his brief stay and subsequently re-signed with the Coyotes, making the trade look like a huge coup for former general manager Don Maloney.
The jury is still out on Nick Merkley, the promising young player the Arizona Coyotes acquired with the Blackhawks first round pick, but we now have a full year of viewing Klas Dahlbeck under our belts.