Laraque awaiting to be dealt, multiple teams interested

David Vest of The Arizona Republic reports that there are four teams interested in acquiring Phoenix Coyotes enforcer Georges Laraque.

It’s believed that one of those teams is the Pittsburgh Penguins, and two of the remaining three are from the Western Conference. The other team remains unidentified.

As reported on Friday, the Coyotes have told Laraque that he will be dealt before the February 27 trade deadline. Speculation was that a deal was imminent and Laraque was going to the Penguins.

However, according to Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette there is no indication that a trade to the Penguins “is likely, let alone imminent.”

Furthermore, someone “familiar with the situation” tells Molinari that while the Coyotes are weighing different offers for Laraque, they are “not desperate to get rid of him.”

Since Laraque owns a no-trade clause in his contract he would have to approve a trade out of Phoenix. But, will he?

“I really don’t know what’s going to happen,” Laraque said after Friday’s practice. “When I came here this is not what I envisioned would happen. So, now I have to let this all sink in.”

What about going to the playoff bound Penguins and playing with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin?

“I’d have to think about it,” Laraque said. “All this just happened so I haven’t thought about where I want to be.”

Laraque earns $1.1 million this season and $1.3 million the next.