On Wednesday, during a segment of the Marek Show on Sportsnet, Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman discussed the Arizona Coyotes situation. During that discussion, Shea Weber's name even came up.
This came up when Marek asked Friedman if Clayton Keller could be traded by next Monday. The tipster replied that it would be surprising, because the Coyotes want to raise their average ticket price for next season and the organization has to give a reason (i.e. Keller) for fans to come see them play.
There is no doubt that the Coyotes want to move some big names and salaries for next season. Jakob Chychrun ($4.6M) and Phil Kessel ($6.8M) will likely not be back next year. Weber's contract ($7.857M) would help Arizona keep its head above water salary-wise. The potential departures would not require any new acquisitions on Bill Armstrong's side.
As D'Amico reminds us, the Coyotes will play next season in a 5,000-seat arena. Added to the fact that the team will not be competitive for several more years, it will be difficult for them to acquire big salaries via the autonomy market. Having Weber's contract now on their payroll would free up some pressure in Arizona.