The Arizona Coyotes continue to remain busy this offseason with the re-signing of goaltender Ivan Prosvetov and Calder finalist Matias Maccelli this past weekend. It’s been quite the week for the organization as well, which recently terminated the contract of recently signed forward Alex Galchenyuk after an off-ice issue with Scottsdale police. With general manager Bill Armstrong actively evaluating the roster and filling specific needs, we at The Hockey Writers take a look at three free agents the Coyotes should look to target this offseason as they continue to build a competitive roster.
With a need at defense and wing, two rather shallow areas, the Coyotes should look at adding veteran defenseman Matt Dumba, and forward Maxime Comtois, or possibly take a chance on winger Jesse Puljujärvi, who could use a fresh start to prove himself.
Matt Dumba
As of now, the Coyotes’ most experienced defenseman is Troy Stecher, who returned to the Valley this offseason. With a slew of young faces rounding out the team’s defensive core, they should turn their attention to Dumba. As reported by PHNX’s Craig Morgan, they have been in active talks with Dumba and his agent, but no deal is in place as of currently.
Dumba is coming off a 14-point season, recording four goals and 10 assists in 79 games this past year. A rather less than impressive season, the former Wild defenseman has seen a staggering decline in his point production since registering 50 points during the 2017-18 season. While not a 30-40 point d-man anymore, he brings other positives to his game, including his ability to lead by example, something the Coyotes could benefit greatly from.
Related: Wild 2022-23 Report Cards: Matt Dumba
Dumba’s ability to block shots and lay the body should be enough to interest the Coyotes alone, with 116 blocks and 104 hits last season. Where his game has struggled, however, is his lack of offense, as well as the high number of penalty minutes taken last season (81). This is something the team may be weary of if they’re looking for offensive contributors. Nevertheless, he would be a huge bolster to the team’s blue line if signed and would be a great mentor to a group of young defensemen.
Maxime Comtois
The Coyotes enter the 2023-24 season with three rostered right wingers and could look to add a fourth. Look no further than the 24-year-old Comtois. Coming off a 19-point season (nine goals, 10 assists) in 64 games last season, the 6-foot-2 forward currently sits as a free agent after spending the past four seasons with the Anaheim Ducks organization.
A career bottom-six player, Comtois registered a career-high 33 points in 55 games during the 2020-21 season on 16 goals and 17 assists. The Quebec native brings with him grit and physicality, registering 76 penalty minutes last season and 193 in his so-far short career. With the departure of fan-favorite Christian Fischer, the Coyotes could benefit from having him as a replacement on their fourth line.
Jesse Puljujärvi
The final player on our list that the Coyotes should be keeping tabs on this offseason is Puljujärvi. The 25-year-old Finn’s career hasn’t panned out as envisioned. Taken as the fourth overall selection in the 2016 NHL Draft, his career looked to be long and special. Instead, after registering just eight points during his rookie season with the Oilers in 28 games, the team opted to send him down to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate. Optimism only seemed to sway further away, bouncing between the NHL, AHL, and SM-liiga over the next five seasons.
After much deliberation and patience, the Oilers dealt him to the Carolina Hurricanes, where he put up just two points in 17 regular season games, along with one point in seven playoff games. This led to Puljujärvi being a free agent. A once promising career slowly crumbled over the pressures placed on him from the get-go. So why does he make sense for the Coyotes? For starters, his staggering size of 6-foot-4 is something Armstrong adores, hence his 2023 Draft selections. Secondly, Puljujärvi has proven that with the correct linemates, he can succeed at the NHL level, putting up a career-high 36 points during the 2021-22 season in 65 games.
While taking a gamble might not seem favorable, Armstrong is no stranger to playing outside the box. Add in his plans on making the Coyotes a more competitive and younger team this season, and there is a possibility that he could take a flyer on a player like Puljujarvi.
Honorable Mentions/Final Thoughts
While we only mentioned three players to keep tabs on, there are plenty of other names that the Coyotes could give a call to. Guys such as defenseman Ethan Bear, forwards Colin White, Pius Suter, and others remain all viable, realistic options. Many believe the Coyotes are not done making deals yet, and could still look to add to their defense corps or bottom-six forward group.
As stated above by Craig Morgan, the Coyotes have been actively pursuing Dumba, but no deal has been made yet. After a busy first day of free agency, and with a competitive Central Division looming, expect Armstrong to remain at the forefront of it all.