Coyotes choose not to deal pending UFA Vrbata, and that's fine by him

One of the most talked about names heading up to the NHL trade deadline is staying put.

Arizona Coyotes forward Radim Vrbata - set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year - wasn't traded ahead of the 3:00 p.m. ET deadline, general manager John Chayka confirmed to AZ Sports' Craig Morgan.

Despite the lack of a deal, the hours leading up to the deadline saw much speculation of a potential transaction.

Eyes were on Coyotes practice Wednesday afternoon, especially after Vrbata participated in practice.

Meanwhile, it was reported earlier in the day that the Calgary Flames were in on Vrbata, by Sportsnet's John Shannon, before they acquired Curtis Lazar from the Ottawa Senators,

In keeping Vrbata, the Coyotes keep their hottest player. The 35-year-old is riding a 10-game point streak where he's posted 12 points.