Coyotes suspend Tkachuk indefinitely
PHOENIX, Arizona - All-Star left wing Keith Tkachuk, who missed all of training camp last season with the Phoenix Coyotes due to a contract holdout, was suspended indefinitely by the team for failing to report for his physical, on Sat. Sept. 12, 1998. Tkachuk, who had 40 goals and 26 assists in 69 games last season, has two years left on his current contract. It was his fourth 40-goal season but it was his lowest total since scoring 22 in the lockout-shortened 1994-95 season. Tkachuk, 26, reportedly is seeking a new deal worth $40 million over five years, and recently told The Hockey News he was willing to sit out the entire season. He made $2.8 million last season. That is a prospect that apparently does not faze GM Bobby Smith, who told the Arizona Republic, "We can trade him, we can give him what he wants or let him sit out the season. I'm not willing to eliminate Option C at this point. We might decide that it's simply the right thing to do. I think we have a good enough team to make the playoffs without him. All we've been able to do with Keith Tkachuk is make the playoffs and lose in the first round."

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