A decade ago, the Philadelphia Flyers selected Steve Downie in the first round of the NHL draft. He had skill to burn and played a take-no-prisoners style of physical hockey, despite having a modest 5’11” frame.
Downie has played 433 regular-season games since, scoring nearly 40 points per 82 contests, all while continuing to be one of the most abrasive forwards in the game.
Now, at the relatively tender age of 28, he’s available to any team willing to pick up the remainder of his one-year, $1.75 million contract. TSN’s Bob McKenzie reported on Sunday morning that the Coyotes had placed Downie on waivers:
That’s not much money or much term; this isn’t an albatross contract the Coyotes are trying to dump. Arizona isn’t tanking, either; the ‘Yotes are currently slated to start the playoffs on home ice as the No. 2 seed in the Pacific Division.
So why are they dumping Downie?
The obvious—and wrong—answer is that he isn’t scoring. Downie has just six points in 25 games this year, but he’s al ...
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Article written by Jonathan Willis