Nicklas Grossmann: Shipped to Arizona

The Coyotes acquired Grossman and Chris Pronger's contract in exchange for Sam Gagner on Saturday, Sarah McLellan of the Arizona Republic reports.

Analysis:

The Coyotes were extremely thin at defense, so making a move for a proven defender like Grossmann in the offseason was somewhat of a necessity. Unfortunately, they had to give up Gagner in order to bolster their defensive core. However, this may not be as big of a blow to the Coyotes as it seems, as there were reports surfacing that the team was considering buying out the rest of Gagner's contract if they were unable to figure out a trade with another club. His offensive production will be hard to replace, but Arizona will hope that an improved defensive group will more than make up for any decrease in scoring the team might experience in 2015-16. Grossmann is a solid NHL defender, but lacks offensive skill, so don't expect too much from the 30-year-old in terms of fantasy relevance.