Coyotes captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson hadn't been heard from publicly in almost three months since the team was last together during the NHL playoffs in Edmonton.
But the two-time all-star's name has since been tossed around often, mainly in trade rumors and reports that his time with the club was close to being over. After the Coyotes hired Bill Armstrong as general manager in September, the team sought trade offers for Ekman-Larsson, the longest-tenured Coyotes player who has been with the team for 10 seasons.
The defenseman wasn't dealt after his agent set a deadline of Oct. 9 for a trade.