Hurricanes trade Kruger to Coyotes for Martinook

The Carolina Hurricanes and Arizona Coyotes have pulled off an oddly-timed trade.

Marcus Kruger and a 2018 third-round pick are headed to the Coyotes for Jordan Martinook and a fourth-round selection, the clubs confirmed Thursday.

Kruger cleared waivers in February and was assigned to the Charlotte Checkers, where he collected eight points in 19 games after managing only six points in 48 contests with Carolina.

Martinook potted six goals and chipped in 15 points while appearing in all but one regular-season game for the Coyotes this season.

Both players have another year left on their contracts, with Kruger on the books for about $2.7 million in 2018-19 after Carolina retains 10 percent of his salary, per CapFriendly. Martinook carries a cap hit of $1.8 million.