Coyotes to keep Crouse, send 2nd-round pick to Panthers
The Arizona Coyotes are keeping rookie forward Lawson Crouse around for the balance of the regular season and will pay a premium for it.
Head coach Dave Tippett has confirmed Crouse will remain with the team past the nine-game trial period afforded to junior-eligible players, according to Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports.
The implications of this decision are two-fold.
- The first year of Crouse's entry-level contract will officially come into effect.
- Once Crouse appears in his 10th game, the conditional draft pick sent to the Florida Panthers will become a second-rounder in 2018.
Crouse was selected 11th overall by the Panthers in 2015, and was traded to the Coyotes along with Dave Bolland for a pair of draft picks, including a third-round selection in 2017.
In nine games with the Coyotes, Crouse has recorded one goal on 11 shots in an average of 10:41 a night.
Crouse joins Jacob Chychrun as a junior-eligible player sticking with the club, while a decision on Dylan Strome has yet to be made.