Hours before Jordan Martinook was traded by the Coyotes to the Carolina Hurricanes, he was in the middle of a workout with center and linemate Brad Richardson in Arizona.
And although the trade more directly affects Martinook, it could also be of profound importance for Richardson, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
By sending Martinook and a fourth-round draft pick in 2018 to Carolina, the Coyotes received center Marcus Kruger and a third-round pick in June. In wake of the deal, the Coyotes just may have erased two-thirds of their fourth line.