Wild Acquires Hanzal, White from Coyotes

ST. PAUL -- Minnesota Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has acquired forwards Martin Hanzal and Ryan White, and a fourth-round selection in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for Minnesota's first-round selection in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, its second-round selection in 2018, a conditional fourth-round selection in 2019, and forward Grayson Downing. Arizona will retain 50 percent of Hanzal's salary.

"We were trying to accomplish a couple things at the trade deadline. We felt we needed to add a couple forwards to our group. We were looking to add some experience, some size, some versatility to round out our roster and make us a little deeper going down the stretch and into the playoffs," Fletcher said. "The second goal was not to give up any of our prospects. Teams have been calling on a lot of our guys for awhile. That's been the preferred choice of payment for a lot of them."
Hanzal, 30, has collected 26 points (16-10=26), 43 penalty minutes (PIM) and 105 hits in 51 games with Arizona this season. The 6-foot-6, 226-pound native of Pisek, Czech Republic, led the Coyotes in goals, ranked third in scoring and led all forwards in TOI/game (18:35). One of Arizona's alternate captains, Hanzal also led the Coyotes with a 56.0% faceoff success rate, and has won more than 50% of faceoffs taken in seven of the last eight seasons. He ranks T-9th amongst active NHL players with a 55.7% faceoff win percentage since 2013-14 and is 17th amongst active forwards with 1,427 hits since 2007-08. Hanzal set career highs with 28 assists and 41 points in 64 games last season.

Hanzal owns 313 points (117-196=313) and 537 PIM in 608 career NHL games in 10 seasons with the Coyotes. Hanzal has totaled 12 points (4-8=12), 47 PIM and 97 hits in 23 career Stanley Cup Playoff matches. He registered a career-high 239 hits (13th in NHL) and plus-12 rating during the 2011-12 season, 16 goals in 2010-11 and 104 PIM in 2009-10. Hanzal played for the Czech Republic at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, the 2014 Olympics, the 2013, 2008 and 2007 World Championships, the 2006 World Junior Championship and the 2005 Under-18 World Championship where he was named to the All-Star Team. He was originally selected by the Coyotes in the first round (17th overall) of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft and will wear jersey No. 19 with Minnesota.
"He's an extremely tough player to play against. I know if you speak to any of our players having to play against Arizona over the last few years, he's a big, strong centerman, he plays a heavy game, he makes you earn every inch of the ice when you play against him," Fletcher said. "He's a guy that can contribute offensively, he can win faceoffs, he can play both specialty teams. We thought he was the top rental forward on the market."
White, 28, has totaled 13 points (7-6=13) in 46 games with Arizona this season, leading the Coyotes with 70 PIM and ranking second with 138 hits. The 6-foot, 200-pound native of Brandon, Man., has totaled 58 points (29-29=58), 433 PIM and 770 hits in 294 career games with the Coyotes (2014-17) and Montreal (2009-14). He registered career highs in games played (73), goals (11), points (16), PIM (101), PPG (3), shots (88), and hits (208) last season. He was originally selected by Montreal in the third round (66th overall) of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft and will wear jersey No. 21 with Minnesota.
"[Hockey operations advisor] Andrew Brunette called him a junkyard dog watching a lot of video of him the last couple months. He's a guy that was a heck of a junior hockey player, has a good shot, was a player coming up that was an offensive player in a lot of ways," Fletcher said. "He's morphed more into a checking, gritty type of player. He's a player that plays in your bottom six. He competes, he shows up everyday, he's good around the net, he can make plays, he has scored some goals in this League."
Downing, 24, has totaled 22 points (7-15=22) and 11 PIM in 47 games with Iowa (AHL) this season. The 6-foot, 195-pound native of Abbotsford, B.C., has totaled 66 points (26-40=66) and 39 PIM in parts of three seasons with Iowa after signing originally signing with Minnesota as a free-agent on March 24, 2015.