The 2023 NHL Free Agency frenzy has officially begun. The Arizona Coyotes along with 31 other clubs got to work on July 1 signing/re-signing players. General manager Bill Armstrong brought back three former Coyotes in Nick Bjugstad, Troy Stecher, and Alex Galchenyuk, and also completed deals with Matthew Villalta, Jason Zucker, and Alex Kerfoot.
With Arizona’s sights set on being a more competitive team this upcoming season, expect Armstrong to remain at the forefront and stay aggressive this offseason. With the newest additions and familiar reunions, came some rather somber news for the Coyotes fan base as the team announced they were not extending a qualifying offer to beloved forward Christian Fischer, who signed a one-year deal with the Detroit Red Wings.
Coyotes’ Day One Additions
The Coyotes kicked off day one of free agency with the signing of Zucker to a one-year, $5.3 million deal. He is coming off a 48-point season with the Pittsburgh Penguins last season in which he recorded 27 goals and 21 assists in 78 games. At 31 years old, the Coyotes will rely heavily on Zucker to not only bring his game but also his leadership to a rather young locker room. He stated his excitement to play with Clayton Keller and other young players this season and also raved about Mullett Arena during his one visit as a member of the Penguins.
The Coyotes’ next three signings came in the form of some rather familiar names. The first of three was Bjugstad who returns to the Valley on a two-year, $2.15 million deal after being dealt at the deadline to the Edmonton Oilers for Michael Kesselring. On his reasoning for coming back, Bjugstad had this to say, “I like the direction they’re heading.” The Coyotes’ reunion continued with the second of three signings with the addition of defenseman Troy Stecher. Another Coyote dealt at the deadline to the Calgary Flames, returns to the desert on a one-year contract.
Like Bjugstad, Stecher had this to say for his reasoning for coming back to the Valley despite the recent arena drama, “I felt the same way before I got to Arizona. It’s one thing to look on the outside and say, ‘no rink and they haven’t been that successful as an organization.’ And then once you get there as a player, it’s completely different than the perception. You’re surrounded with such good people that have a passion for the game, and that want to make an organization something special. I truly believe they’re going in the right direction.”
Related: 2023 NHL Free Agency Tracker
The Coyotes capped off their reunion with the announcement of a one-year contract with Galchenyuk. He returns to Arizona for a third stint after posting 41 points (19 goals, 22 assists) in 72 games in 2018-19 and 21 points (six goals, 15 assists) in 60 games in 2021-22. They hope to see the 29-year-old Wisconsin native rediscover the 2018-19 form they saw during his first stint in Arizona.
Armstrong rounded out the day with two final deals. The first was minor-league goaltender Matthew Villalta to a one-year deal. He arrives in the desert having spent the last four years with the Los Angeles Kings’ minor league affiliate Ontario Reign. This past season he recorded a 12-8-1 record with a 2.65 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage. The 24-year-old will compete with current minor league netminder Ivan Provestov for playing time down in Tucson.
The Coyotes’ final signing of the day would be Kerfoot to a two-year, $3.5 million deal. He is coming off a 32-point season with the Toronto Maple Leafs in which he recorded 10 goals and 22 assists in 82 games. He added two goals in 11 playoff games for the Maple Leafs during the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. This rounded out day one of free agency for the Coyotes who still may look to add another defenseman. Matt Larkin at the Daily Faceoff listed the Coyotes as the No. 1 winners of day one of the 2023 NHL UFA period.
Who To Keep Tabs On
As the Coyotes head into day two of free agency, expect Armstrong to remain active as he continues to build a competitive roster. For fans, it comes as rather a pleasant surprise to see the organization be so active in free agency. The Coyotes promised to put a more competitive team on the ice for the 2023-24 season, and as of now, they are staying true to their word.
As Armstrong reiterated to PHNX Coyotes after day one, “I don’t build rinks, I build teams.” What he’s been able to do in three years as general manager of the Coyotes has been unprecedented. He’s had three excellent drafts now in which he’s added stars such as Dylan Guenther, J.J. Moser, Logan Cooley, Conor Geekie, Maveric Lamoureux, Dmitri Simashev, Daniil But, and Michael Hrabal.
Plenty of intriguing names remain on the board including Max Domi, Matt Dumba, Tyler Bertuzzi, and others. The Coyotes will most certainly look to add another defenseman before the beginning of next season whether that be through free agency or a trade. The offseason is in full swing and expect the Coyotes to remain at the forefront of it all.