Arizona Coyotes 15 Best Contracts (2005-2022)

This was originally published in my 2020 book Hunting Bargains in a Salary Cap World, and has now been updated with new contracts. I will continue to update each team’s list every summer going forward. The rule is that only active contracts can move up or down. Expired deals cannot pass each other. Next summer it may even be expanded to top 20. The book is still available on Amazon, though some of the stats on active contracts are now out of date. You may yet find it interesting because there were detailed stat graphics that you won't find here. One thing you won't find here are entry level contracts because they all come from the same cookie cutter and require less skill at the negotiating table.

My latest book The Hockey Economist’s Betting Prospectus is now available. It's a comprehensive commentary on the last 3 years of hockey betting, broken down by team, by category, by strategy, by season. There is plenty of useful information for bettors of all skill levels. It covers pre-pandemic, peak-pandemic, post-pandemic. What worked, what failed. Lessons learned, market trends, team-by-team analysis. What impact did the pandemic have on hockey betting? The market differences between these 3 seasons are discussed at length, and there's a lot to talk about. To read more, visit the Amazon store.
 
Enjoy! Please note: The formatting on the graphics got scrambled being copied from Excel into Google Blogger. It's among the reasons my blog is looking for a new home.

 

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The Phoenix Arizona Coyotes have had a tumultuous existence off the ice, and only limited success on it, securing only 4 playoff appearances since 2005, advancing past the first round only once. Despite financial struggles and a seemingly constant threat of relocation, they’ve always been able to attract free agents with their desirable warm winter climate and low state taxes.
 
It’s not a coincidence that a glut of the Coyotes best contracts were signed leading up to their most successful season in 2012 when they advanced to the conference final. Don Maloney was at the helm for that run, and was the team’s General Manager for 9 years, hence why his signature dominates their list of best deals.
 
Eventually the team fell back into darkness after a brief moment in the light, and Maloney was replaced by John Chayka in 2016. The youngest GM in league history gained a reputation as an analytical darling, but had never able to translate that into team success when he shockingly quit in 2020 before his first playoff appearance.

 
1. Oliver Ekman-Larsson
 

Signed By:	Don Maloney		Position:	D
Date:	2013-03-15		Age July 1st:	21
Term:	6 years		Playoff GP:	0
Total Money:	$33M		Playoff PTS:	0
Cap Hit:	$5.5M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	38.0	479	267	1214
Per 82 GP	6.3	82	46	208	24.6

"Why wait and risk it when we could structure something that works for us? As far as I'm concerned, a win-win for everybody. He gets a really good contract, and we lock up a very good player for some time."

– Don Maloney

By the final year of his entry level contract, Oliver Ekman-Larsson was officially an elite defenseman. The smooth skating Swede had posted an impressive 17 PTS in 25 GP midway through the shortened 2013 schedule (averaging over 25 minutes per game of ice time) when he inked this 6-year pact. It was nearly the same deal that teammate Keith Yandle had accepted 2 years earlier (but one extra year).
 
OEL was such a good defenseman on such a bad team. He averaged 46 PTS per 82 GP and 24.6 minutes of ice time per game, and twice eclipsed 220 shots on goal in a season. Year three produced his best individual season at 55 PTS. As an aside, the team also missed the playoffs all 6 of these seasons with OEL going -97.
 

2. Keith Yandle
 

Signed By:	Don Maloney		Position:	D
Date:	2009-07-16		Age July 1st:	22
Term:	2 years		Playoff GP:	11
Total Money:	$2.4M		Playoff PTS:	10
Cap Hit:	$1.2M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	3.4	164	100	344
Per 82 GP	1.7	82	50	172	22.3

"He is a young and talented offensive-minded defenseman who will continue to play a major role on our team."

– Don Maloney

In the final year of his ELC, Keith Yandle posted an impressive 30 PTS in 69 GP despite playing limited minutes. The upside had been on display, but Keith still had to prove that he could produce with a heavier workload. Don Maloney locked him in on a 2-year bridge that paid immediate dividends for Phoenix Arizona, scoring 41 PTS in year one and 59 PTS in year two, averaging over 24 minutes of ice time per game.
 
Yands bet on himself and won in the long-term, with the team winning in the short-term, making the playoffs both seasons. The Coyotes received a 50-point defenseman for 23 cents on the dollar. After scraping by on food stamps for 2 years, Yandle struck gold on the next contract, banking $26M.
 
 
3. Mike Smith
 

Signed By:	Don Maloney		Position:	G
Date:	2011-07-01		Age July 1st:	29
Term:	2 years		Playoff Wins:	9
Total Money:	$4M		Playoff SV%:	0.944
Cap Hit:	$2M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Avg Adj Cap Hit	GP	W	GAA	SV%
Total	2.6	101	53	2.33	0.924

“I wouldn't take back those tough times in Tampa. I played some good hockey in Tampa, too, but couldn't get that level of consistency that you need to be the guy. That's no one's fault. It's about finding your way through it and learning along the way. This year it all started to click."

– Mike Smith

Mike Smith had yet to establish himself as a primary starting goaltender who could handle a heavy workload, having never played more than 42 GP in a season and struggling in Tampa Bay. The Coyotes landed the unrestricted free agent at low price on a 2-year “prove it” deal (similar to what Dan Ellis had signed the previous summer, but more for money).
 
Smith arrived in Phoenix Arizona and immediately had the best season of his career, winning 38 games with a 2.21 GAA and .930 SV%, backstopping the Coyotes to the Conference final (he posted an insane .944 playoff SV%). They really captured “Peak Smith” at a bargain price. Mike earned himself a lucrative extension after this expired at age 31, and you can read all about it on the Coyotes worst contracts list.
 
 
4. Keith Yandle
 

Signed By:	Don Maloney		Position:	D
Date:	2011-07-05		Age July 1st:	24
Term:	5 years		Playoff GP:	40
Total Money:	$26.25M		Playoff PTS:	21
Cap Hit:	$5.25M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	32.6	378	225	959
Per 82 GP	6.5	82	49	208	22.3

“When we looked at the term, even with dollars spent, I thought it was good value for a top young Norris Trophy-potential defenseman that I still believe has upside to his game"

– Don Maloney

Keith Yandle had just potted an impressive 11 goals and 59 PTS in 2011 when his previous bargain contract expired. There was a decent chance that he could have earned a higher wage than $6.7M (adjusted for cap inflation) had he argued his case in front of an arbitrator, but instead accepted a very similar contract to what Dustin Byfuglien had been awarded by Atlanta Winnipeg 5 months earlier.
 
The price may have been low (especially considering he was selling 2 UFA years), but it was consistent with the comparables who had signed before him. The pay ceiling for high end RFA defensemen was pushed higher later that summer by Shea Weber and Drew Doughty.
 
In 378 GP Yandle scored 225 PTS from the blueline (49 PTS per 82 GP), averaging over 22 minutes per game of ice time. Phoenix Arizona sold him to New York before they could lose him to free agency and got a nice haul in return (Duclair, Moore, 1^st and 2^nd round picks). Luckily for Yands, there was $44.5M waiting for him when he hit the open market at age 29.
 
 
5. Jakob Chychrun
 

Signed By:	John Chayka		Position:	D
Date:	2018-11-13		Age July 1st:	21
Term:	6 years		Playoff GP:	5
Total Money:	$27.6M		Playoff PTS:	1
Cap Hit:	$4.6M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	27.8	166	88	466
Per 82 GP	4.6	82	43	230	22.9

“Jakob is a young, highly skilled defenseman with an incredibly bright future. He has battled through some adversity with injuries the last two years, but we remain confident that he has the necessary size, talent and work ethic to be one of our core players for many years to come.”

– John Chayka

Jakob Chychrun was rushed to the NHL as a teenager, probably for the same reason as Lawson Crouse, Chayka didn’t want to send him back to junior and he wasn’t allowed to play in the AHL. The downside to that strategy is you burn those ELC years sooner and give the player a faster track to unrestricted free agency.
 
Chychrun struggled with injuries early in his Coyotes tenure, which had to make Jake more willing to accept a long-term contract to give himself financial security. Chayka would eventually lock him into a 6-year extension very similar to what Damon Severson and Brett Pesce had received one year earlier. Chychrun scored at a 34-point pace in year one, and broke out with 60 PTS per 82 GP in year two (a stat line that was worth north of $8M). Even after regressing in year 3, he was still a bargain on a per game basis.
 
 
6. Devan Dubnyk
 

Signed By:	Don Maloney		Position:	G
Date:	2014-07-01		Age July 1st:	28
Term:	1 year		Playoff Wins:	4
Total Money:	$800K		Playoff SV%:	0.908
Cap Hit:	$800K		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Avg Adj Cap Hit	GP	W	GAA	SV%
Total	1.0	58	36	2.07	0.929

“Devan is a goaltender with great size, skill and experience. We are confident that he can continue to develop under the guidance of Sean Burke.”

– Don Maloney

Devan Dubnyk had really hit rock bottom when he reached the unrestricted free agent market at age 28, playing so bad that he earned a demotion to the AHL and was traded from Edmonton to Nashville. The Coyotes rolled the dice at a cheap price tag, hoping Sean Burke would be able to rejuvenate a once promising career.
 
The big goalie was mostly average during his 19 games in Phoenix Arizona before being traded to the Wild for a 3rd round pick. It was Minnesota’s goalie coach who unlocked the matrix, and Devan caught fire, putting up a 1.78 GAA and .936 SV% in 39 GP, earning himself Vezina votes. This probably belongs on the Minnesota Wild best contracts list, but it was signed in Phoenix Arizona (still a win in asset management flipping an $800K UFA into a 3rd round pick).
 
 
7. Ilya Bryzgalov
 

Signed By:	Don Maloney		Position:	G
Date:	2008-01-22		Age July 1st:	28
Term:	3 years		Playoff Wins:	3
Total Money:	$12.75M		Playoff SV%:	0.896
Cap Hit:	$4.25M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Avg Adj Cap Hit	GP	W	GAA	SV%
Total	6.1	202	104	2.58	0.916

“I chose to stay in Phoenix because I love our fans, my teammates and I’m confident that we have a bright future ahead of us”

– Ilya Bryzgalov

Ilya Bryzgalov came to Phoenix Arizona as a waiver claim (the Mighty Ducks needed to make room for a hot Jonas Hiller) and would soon catch fire himself, winning the Coyotes primary starting job. Two months after getting claimed, Don Maloney procured Ilya’s autograph on a 3-year extension. The salary was high, but the term was low. It’s unlikely that there would have been more money waiting for him on the UFA market, given his lack of sustained success in a starting role.
 
Bryz stumbled out of the gate in year one, before getting back to a .920 SV%. Over the last 2 seasons of this contract, Bryz had a win-loss record of 78-40 with 36 goals saved above average. When he finally went to market, the man hit a big home run. It also happened to be one of the worst contracts signed in the entire salary cap era.
 
Fun fact: Jonas Hiller, who replaced Ilya in Anaheim, signed a contract very similar to this two years later.
 
 
8. Darcy Kuemper
 

Signed By:	John Chayka		Position:	G
Date:	2018-02-21		Age July 1st:	28
Term:	2 years		Playoff Wins:	0
Total Money:	$3.7M		Playoff SV%:	0.000
Cap Hit:	$1.85M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Avg Adj Cap Hit	GP	W	GAA	SV%
Total	1.9	84	43	2.29	0.926

“You need two goalies to win in this league. Antti is one and now we feel confident that we’ve got the second one in Darcy.”

– John Chayka

Darcy Kuemper spent most of his first 6 seasons as a decent back-up goaltender and had not yet captured a leading role. He signed with the Kings as a 27-year-old UFA, but could only procure 1-year at close to the league minimum. The Kings shipped him off to Phoenix Arizona for Tobias Rieder and Scott Wedgewood. The Coyotes locked Darcy into this 2-year extension the same day.
 
Injuries to Antti Raanta would thrust Kuemper into the primary starting position, and he performed remarkably well by posting a .925 SV% in 55 GP in year one. He was performing even better in year two before injury cut his own season short, otherwise he was trending towards a Vezina trophy nomination. The Coyotes managed to lock him into another bargain 2-year extension that is also on this list.
 
 
9. Ray Whitney
 

Signed By:	Don Maloney		Position:	F
Date:	2010-07-01		Age July 1st:	38
Term:	2 years		Playoff GP:	20
Total Money:	$6M		Playoff PTS:	10
Cap Hit:	$3M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	8.0	157	134	341
Per 82 GP	4.0	82	70	178	17.8

“They were one of the first teams to call and they were one of the teams to give me a two-year contract. … They were eager for me to sign there and that right there says a lot to an athlete.”

– Ray Whitney

Ray Whitney had just completed a productive 5-year tour of duty with the Carolina Hurricanes (winning a Stanley Cup), when he became an unrestricted free agent at age 38. If you’re talking about players who had success in the battle against Father Time, add Ray Whitney to the list. You can also add this to the disturbingly short list of “net benefit” UFA contracts signed on July 1^st.
 
The Coyotes bought a 58-point player, and produced almost exactly that in year one. But at age 39, Whitney shot up to 77 PTS; only Teemu Selanne has scored more PTS at an equal or greater age since 2005. This was good enough to earn Ray another well paid 2-year deal at age 40. Eventually Father Time struck a finishing blow at age 41.
 
 
10. Darcy Kuemper
 

Signed By:	John Chayka		Position:	G
Date:	2019-10-02		Age July 1st:	30
Term:	2 years		Playoff Wins:	10
Total Money:	$9M		Playoff SV%:	0.902
Cap Hit:	$4.5M		Stanley Cups:	1

 

	Avg Adj Cap Hit	GP	W	GAA	SV%
Total	4.6	84	47	2.55	0.917

"Darcy had an incredible season last year and established himself as one of the NHL's best goaltenders. With Darcy and Antti, we are confident that we have one of the best goaltending tandems in the league."

-John Chayka

Darcy Kuemper elected to sign a 2-year extension with the Coyotes in the fall of 2019 instead of testing unrestricted free agency in the summer. He had recently wrapped an impressive 55-game season posting a .925 SV%, so there surely would have been suitors for his services. Fast approaching his 30th birthday, there probably should have been more urgency to find a long-term deal instead of settling for a 2-year extension.
 
In year one of the deal, his SV% dropped from .928 to .907 (slightly below league average), so early indicators did not point to this being a good contract. Where the going got good was year two when he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche where he posted a .921 SV% and backstopped the team to a Stanley Cup championship.
 
 
11. Shane Doan
 

Signed By:	Mike Barnett		Position:	F
Date:	2007-02-14		Age July 1st:	30
Term:	5 years		Playoff GP:	23
Total Money:	$22.75M		Playoff PTS:	16
Cap Hit:	$4.55M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	32.8	395	316	1154
Per 82 GP	6.6	82	66	240	19.8

“I was drafted by this organization and it means a great deal to me to be able to play with this franchise my entire career.”

– Shane Doan

Shane Doan’s production had been trending downwards as he approached his 30^th birthday, which he celebrated 4 months before signing this 5-year extension. There was a high risk signing a physical player to that term at that age, but in all likelihood, there would have been a higher bidder had he waited until July 1^st. Mike Barnett wasn’t about to let his captain leave.
 
With risk came reward. The gamble paid off as Doan had a scoring resurgence, posting a career high 78 PTS in year one. In 395 GP, Doaner scored 316 PTS (66-point pace) with 1154 Shots and 877 Hits. He did well enough to earn another 4-year deal after this, which you can read about on the Coyotes worst contracts list.
 
12. Conor Garland
 

Signed By:	John Chayka		Position:	F
Date:	2019-02-27		Age July 1st:	23
Term:	2 years		Playoff GP:	4
Total Money:	$1.55M		Playoff PTS:	1
Cap Hit:	$775K		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	1.6	117	78	293
Per 82 GP	0.8	82	55	205	15.7

“Conor has come onto our team and made an impact through his work ethic and willingness to get to the net and score goals. He’s a great success story for our organization as a later round pick and the development process he went through to get here.”

– John Chayka

Conor Garland had accumulated very little NHL experience by the end of his ELC and signed for fair value based on his limited accomplishments in the moment. Betting on himself with a 1-year deal would have been a risky proposition at the time, opting instead for an extra year of job security.
 
Garland managed to stick on the Coyotes roster and produce quality goal scoring for close to the league minimum. In year one he scored 22 goals and 39 PTS in 68 GP, which deserves roughly a $4M price tag. Too bad he didn’t make that wager on himself, because he could have become a millionaire a little bit sooner. He was traded to Vancouver when this bargain was over and received a nice pay raise.
 
 
13. Radim Vrbata
 

Signed By:	Don Maloney		Position:	F
Date:	2011-07-01		Age July 1st:	30
Term:	3 years		Playoff GP:	16
Total Money:	$9M		Playoff PTS:	5
Cap Hit:	$3M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	11.5	191	141	601
Per 82 GP	3.8	82	61	258	18.3

"Radim is a terrific fit for our organization and our dressing room, and I'm glad he'll be back with us"

– Don Maloney

Radim Vrbata played for the Coyotes in 2008 before leaving in free agency to join the Lightning. One year later he was re-acquired by the Yotes in a steal of a trade, sending Todd Fedoryk and David Hale to Tampa. When Radim reached the UFA market again at age 30 in 2011, he decided to stay in Phoenix Arizona, accepting identical terms to his previous deal, 3 years $3M AAV.
 
Vrbata’s age had to be a contributing factor to the lack of significant bidders, but he managed to unexpectedly improve past his 30^th birthday, setting a new career high. In year one of this contract he jumped up to 35 goals and 62 PTS, finishing that span with 141 PTS in 191 GP (61 PTS per 82 GP), earning every penny with that production. The Czech winger left for Vancouver when this was over.
 
 
14. Kyle Turris
 

Signed By:	Don Maloney		Position:	F
Date:	2011-11-22		Age July 1st:	21
Term:	2 years		Playoff GP:	17
Total Money:	$2.8M		Playoff PTS:	12
Cap Hit:	$1.4M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	3.6	103	58	260
Per 82 GP	1.8	82	46	207	18.1

“Under no circumstances whatsoever, and I’m not sure what language I have to (use). We will not trade Kyle Turris this season. We want him back and if he wants to play in the NHL, he’ll sign with us.”

– Don Maloney

It was a rocky start to Kyle’s career in Phoenix Arizona. The young center sat out until late November trying to get a new deal after his ELC expired and settled on this low-cost bridge. His relationship with management was soured and he was promptly traded to Ottawa for David Rundblad and a 2^nd round pick (which in hindsight was a terrible trade for the coyotes). Kyle’s on ice production did not warrant the money he was demanding, as he was trying to squeeze extra dough out of being a high draft pick.
 
By the second year of this contract, Turris averaged 19.6 minutes of ice time per game and scored at a 50-point pace. He more than doubled his salary on his next deal, which also turned out to be an incredible bargain that you can read about on the Ottawa Senators best contracts list.
 
 
15. Clayton Keller
 

Signed By:	John Chayka		Position:	F
Date:	2019-09-04		Age July 1st:	21
Term:	8 years		Playoff GP:	0
Total Money:	$57.2M		Playoff PTS:	0
Cap Hit:	$7.15M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	57.4	123	98	301
Per 82 GP	7.2	82	65	201	18.6

“He is not only an All-Star and one of the premiere offensive playmakers in the league, but he is equally special as a person with his drive and determination to be great. We are thankful to Clayton for believing in our future and look forward to him playing a vital role on this team for many years to come.”

– John Chayka

Clayton Keller had an outstanding rookie season scoring 65 PTS, but that dropped to 47 and 44 in the two final years of his ELC. Spoiler alert, that’s more than you’re supposed to pay a 40ish point player, a lot more. He scored at a 51-point pace in year one, which is still insufficient for this pay grade. Last summer he looked like a contender for Arizona’s worst contract list, before catching fire in year two and scoring at a 77-point pace. If that’s the new normal, then he’s got himself a good contract.