One of the sneakier pickups during free agency this summer could be Arizona Coyotes winger Radim Vrbata.
According to TSN’s Aaron Ward, five or six teams are hot after the 33-year-old Czech including the Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning, Montreal Canadiens, and San Jose Sharks.
The Bruins would make a lot of sense provided Jarome Iginla signs elsewhere and perhaps Vrbata’s presence could give a boost to fellow Czech David Krejci.
Seeing the Lightning on that list is curious because he spent 18 unspectacular games of the 2008-09 season with them after signing there as a free agent on July 1, 2008. A year later, he was dealt back to the Coyotes where he instantly recaptured his ability to score goals.
Vrbata had 20 goals and 51 points for the Coyotes last season. His point total was good for second on the team behind defenseman Keith Yandle. It was the right time for him to hit free agency as he could strike it big with a dearth of quality goal scorers available.