Mike Smith didn't see it coming. Not at first, at least.

The veteran goaltender has been traded by the Arizona Coyotes to the Calgary Flames in a deal made possible by the nature of the modified no-trade clause on Smith's contract.

Related: Coyotes trade Mike Smith to Flames for Chad Johnson, prospect, pick

Per that clause, Smith was to submit a list of eight teams to which he did not want to be traded should the Coyotes ask him to do so. According to Sarah McLellan of azcentral sports, Smith wasn't caught off guard by Saturday's trade, as he was asked a few weeks ago to submit his no-trade list.

That particular request, however, came as "kind of a shock" to the netminder.

That may be due in part to the fact general manager John Chayka recently referred to Smith as the team's rock whose value is extremely high.

Be that as it may, he's now a Flame, but part of him will always remain in the desert.

Smith added he has a lot of mixed emotions about the move, but he's "really, really pumped to be going to Calgary" and sees the Flames as having a chance to do "something special" in the coming years.

Smith remains under contract for two seasons with a salary-cap hit of $5,666,667.

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