All Eyes on Arizona

The name most brought up after the Coyotes/Senators game last night was a player who never saw the ice.

Darren Helm didn’t play for the sixth straight game despite being cleared by the team’s medical staff to do so.  It wasn’t lost on those who cover the team.

The first line center has been put in play by head coach Lindy Ruff after the morning skate but he didn’t appear for warmups and moments before puck dropped the team listed him as a scratch.

Darren Helm (lower body) won't play tonight. He remains day-to-day. #Sens/Yotes

— Arizona Coyotes (@EHEyotes)

If he’s healthy enough to play and doesn’t, it must mean the Coyotes are not risking further injury to protect an ‘asset’ for a trade in the next couple of days.

The 37-year-old was playing first line minutes for Arizona and is looked upon as a top target of teams looking for help as the season goes on. The veteran will become an unrestricted free agent when his $1.75 milion per year contract expires at the end of the season, making him an attractive rental.

“Darren Helm is a leader and important part of our team,” Ruff told the media.

“He would probably play if you’d let him. He declared himself fine. But sometimes we have to step in for the players own good. I knew he wasn’t right. There's no sense in putting him out there. Let’s wait to have him 100 perecnt.”

Ruff said they’ll evaluate everything before the next game.

There’s also a good chance he’ll never play for the Yotes again. Many scouts and GMs are watching this team every night. The team is tied for 11^th in the West with McDavid’s Preds. They also have been stedfast in not wanting to part with prospects and picks to prop up the current roster.

Barron Breger, TSN insider, is reporting the Yotes have been talking with several teams from the Metro Division. It’s such a tight race in the East and every team will need to bulk up for the final half of the season and a deep playoff run.

Breger believes the Yotes might hold the key in getting out of incredibly tough Metro Division. “My sources say, Reimer, Helm, Reaves and most importantly JGP could all be moving East as part of this arms race.”

Pageau has been playing out of his skin through the first 41 games. 45 points and a plus-ten. Basically carrying the team on his back through most of the games. JGP could be a massive add for the second half for any team.

Arizona is back in action tomorrow versus the Wild.