Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith confirms Arizona Coyotes' fate while addressing Salt Lake relocation rumors

Recent reports have finally confirmed the Arizona Coyotes' possible move to Salt Lake City, Utah. NHL insider Arash Markazi's tweet quoting Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith added fuel to the fire:

"There’s no secret. Not everything on the internet is true but in this case it’s true."

The reported scenario suggests that Arizona Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo will sell the team back to the NHL for a hefty $1 billion. Following this, Ryan Smith, the owner of the Utah Jazz, would then step in and purchase the team from the league for $1.2 billion with intentions to relocate it to Salt Lake City.

The driving force behind this reported move seems to be concerns about the Coyotes' current arena situation. Meruelo reportedly did not want the players to continue competing in an arena that did not meet NHL standards. While his group remains in contention for a land tract in north Phoenix to construct a suitable arena, the auction for the land has been delayed until June.

The NHL and the NHL Players' Association, under the guidance of first-year labor expert Marty Walsh, have been vocal about their reservations regarding the Arizona Coyotes continuing to play at the 5,000-seat Mullett Arena. This ongoing situation worked as a catalyst and clouded the Coyotes' future in Arizona.

Oilers up against Arizona Coyotes in their last game

The upcoming matchup between the Edmonton Oilers and the Arizona Coyotes is set to take place in Tempe, Arizona. The Oilers, with a record of 49-25-6, are currently second in the Pacific Division, while the Coyotes, with a record of 35-41-5, hold the seventh spot in the Central Division.

Arizona boasts a 21-19-0 home record and has shown prowess in games where it scores three or more goals, boasting a 29-13-4 record in such matches. On the other hand, Edmonton has a 21-16-2 record on the road and an impressive 44-11-1 record when scoring three or more goals.

Clayton Keller leads the Arizona Coyotes with 33 goals and 42 assists. Logan Cooley has been in good form with seven goals and three assists in the last 10 games.

For the Oilers, Leon Draisaitl has been a standout performer with 41 goals and 65 assists. He is closely followed by Connor McDavid, who has contributed six goals and seven assists in the last 10 games.

The Arizona Coyotes have a 6-4-0 record and are averaging 4.4 goals and 6.9 assists per game. They have also maintained discipline in terms of penalties, averaging 3.8 penalties and 9.4 penalty minutes per game while conceding an average of 3.6 goals.

The Oilers, on the other hand, have a 6-2-2 record in their last 10 games, averaging 3.9 goals and 6.9 assists. They have incurred three penalties and 7.1 penalty minutes per game while allowing an average of 2.2 goals.