In the hours leading up to this season’s NHL trade deadline, Coyotes center Martin Hanzal felt nervous.
He watched for updates on TV and checked Twitter, looking for a mention of his name.
Despite being positioned as one of the team’s most vital forwards and having one more season left on his contract, Hanzal identified captain Shane Doan and defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson as the only players he believed safe from a trade.
“You never know what can happen,” Hanzal said.
The Coyotes didn’t move Hanzal before the deadline expired on Feb. 29, but they certainly had the opportunity with teams calling General Manager Don Maloney to gauge Hanzal’s availability.