from Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet,

• Putting a bow on what happened, and what didn't, at the trade deadline
• What to watch for at upcoming GM Meetings
• Are Houston, Atlanta serious suitors for NHL teams?

In the aftermath of the trade deadline, a question stuck with me — and I’m embarrassed to admit it’s one of Jeff Marek’s. Speaking to Arizona GM Bill Armstrong last Thursday, he asked if Ottawa offered the same deal that landed Jakob Chychrun last October, would the Coyotes have accepted?

“It’s hard to say,” Armstrong replied. “You don’t know where they’re going to finish. You have a better idea now, so it becomes more attractive…For us, to get a chance for a high pick, that’s huge for us.”

For many who followed the Chychrun saga, the return (a conditional first-round pick, a conditional second-round selection and another second) seemed light, especially since the GM himself indicated the Coyotes wanted, at minimum, two guaranteed firsts — or the equivalent....

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