Red Wings trade Pavel Datsyuk’s cap hit to Coyotes

The Detroit Red Wings have traded Pavel Datstuk’s cap hit, along with the No. 16 pick in the 2016 draft, to the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for Joe Vitale, and picks Nos. 20 and 53, the teams announced.

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The Detroit Red Wings have traded Pavel Datstuk’s cap hit, along with the No. 16 pick in the 2016 draft, to the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for Joe Vitale, and picks Nos. 20 and 53, the teams announced.

Datsyuk, 37, will reportedly leave the NHL to sign a two-year deal with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL in Russia. If he leaves, this move will free up cap space for Detroit.

The Coyotes selected defenseman Jakob Chychrun with Detroit’s pick, while the Red Wings used Phoenix’s first-rounder on defenseman Dennis Cholowski.