NHL | LA, Pittsburgh, Washington. The Czech goalkeeper is a hot commodity. People interested in exchange are flocking around Vejmelka

The 26-year-old goalkeeper is clearly on the rise in his second season in the NHL. In the premier year, he scored only 13 victories out of a total of 52 matches, now he is already nicely increasing his personal records. Behind one of the worst defending teams in the competition, he has a goal average of 3.20 per game, but also a success rate of 90.6 percent. And on top of that, three clean accounts, which secures him a shared fourth position in this statistic.

The MoneyPuck server, which tracks how well a goaltender performs compared to the average, ranks Vejmelka ninth in the entire NHL. He even follows on the heels of the absolute best, such as Igor Šestorkin (NY Rangers) and Andrei Vasilevskiy (Tampa Bay). With his performances, Vejmelka literally stole matches in which the Coyotes, according to paper assumptions, had absolutely no chance of winning.

It is not surprising that interested parties who need to strengthen the key position have started to circle around him. The biggest hunt is reportedly from Los Angeles, which is also looking for Jakob Chychrun. The 24-year-old guard is now out of the Coyotes lineup. According to coach André Tourigny, “until something happens.”

But as soon as Vejmelka appeared in the goal area against the Predators, speculation began that his trade to LA in one package with Chychrun fell through again.

But there are many more potential places where a Třebíč resident could park before long.

They are looking at Pittsburgh, which lost its chance for success in last year’s playoffs due to injuries to the first two goalkeepers, for reinforcements in the goal area. Additionally, Tristan Jarry is not under contract for next season, and Vejmelk’s $2.7 million salary could entice Penguins general manager Ron Hextall.

Then there is the ambitious Buffalo, which does not have a significant number one in goal. A young and up-and-coming team is also emerging in Ottawa, where they are no longer counting on Cam Talbot (35 years old) for next year and are looking for a goalie with more perspective.

But Vejmelk is currently being looked at in Vegas, whose goaltending duo is nowhere near as impressive as at the beginning of the season, and injured rookie Logan Thompson is out for several weeks.

Recently, the Czech goalkeeper has been talked about in Washington as well. The duo of Darcy Kuemper and Charlie Lindgren is definitely not a weakness for the Capitals, but the 2018 Stanley Cup winners are already collecting offers for Danish center Lars Eller, and if they sent him to Arizona, they would also throw in a draft pick for Vejmelka.

Arizona still has seven games left before the trade deadline. And according to many, now is the perfect time for the Coyotes to get the most out of Vejmelk’s trade.