Martin Hanzal Traded to Wild; Coyotes Receive Draft Picks

The Arizona Coyotes traded Martin Hanzal to the Minnesota Wild, Arizona Sports' Craig Morgan reported Sunday.

According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, Minnesota sent Arizona a first-round draft pick and a conditional selection that could become a second-round pick. 

"It's been a good 10 years, but I'm really looking forward to being in the playoffs and stepping on the ice to help Minnesota," said Hanzal, per Morgan. 

HockeyViz's Micah Blake McCurdy thought Minnesota overpaid to acquire the 30-year-old center:

Coyotes' Shane Doan commented on the trade, via Adam Herman of BlueShirtBanter.com:

Surrendering a first-round pick is even more significant considering Hanzal is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, so he may only be a three-month rental for the Wild.

The trade highlights Minnesota's desire to win in the short term. The team has the best record (39-14-6) in the Western Conference and hasn't advanced past the second round of the playoffs in its last six postseason trips.

From that perspective, the Wild's desperation to improve is understandable. Whether Hanzal equals the price they paid is up for debate.

He had 16 goals and 10 assists in 51 games for the Coyotes this season. ESPN.com's Craig Custance argued he'll help fill a hole on the previous Wild teams that reached the playoffs:

In the event Minnesota makes a deep postseason run, then general manager Chuck Fletcher will be more than validated for being so aggressive to bolster the roster.

Should the Wild make another hasty exit, though, Fletcher will have to answer even more questions about whether trading for Hanzal was ultimately worth it.