By signing defenseman Brandon Gormley to a one-year, two-way contract earlier this summer, the Coyotes seemed willing to give their former first-round draft pick yet another opportunity to stick in the NHL after previous attempts failed amid injuries, inconsistent play and a sometimes crowded depth chart.
But the Coyotes decided to cut bait on that idea Wednesday, shipping Gormley to the Avalanche in exchange for defenseman Stefan Elliott, mixing up their options on the blue line almost a week before veterans are set to report for training camp.
"We looked at Brandon and reviewed his time with us and last year and our needs going forward, and we just thought Stefan Elliott has sort of more maybe offensive skill, puck movement, maybe a little more upside in that area," General Manager Don Maloney said.