In a surprising move, the Arizona Coyotes bought out the contract of center Antoine Vermette. The move opens the door for the possibility of another of the franchise’s exciting prospects playing in the NHL in 2016-17.
The Arizona Coyotes are going to be without Antoine Vermette next season, but the move may allow both Dylan Strome and Christian Dvorak to play at their natural positions in the NHL this fall.
This move comes as a surprise since Vermette still had a year left on his current contract with a reasonable cap hit of $3.75 million.
After a rough start offensively last season, Vermette still finished with a respectable 17 goals and 21 assists for 38 points. He also won 55.8% of his faceoffs, a big reason why the Coyotes finished first in the league in that category.
So why part ways with Vermette?
There are a couple reasons why this move makes sense.
First, it is very clear that Vermette has lost a step since he first joined the Coyotes back in 2012. Considered then to be a strong second line center, he now slots in better as a third or even fourth line center. Below is a comparison of Vermette’s underlying stats from 2012 (left) and 2016 (right).
The most notable difference between Vermette then and now are his defensive numbers.
Long considered to be an excellent two-way player, his possession and shot suppression numbers have declined significantly. Opposing teams generate more offense when Vermette is on the ice and his teammates put up better possession numbers when he is on the bench.
The one place here he is still effective is on the power play, where he scored 9 of his 17 goals last season.
So why not keep Vermette and play him in a lesser 5-on-5 role with some power play time on the side?
Put simply, the kids.
Dylan Strome, the third overall pick in 2015, and Christian Dvorak, a second round pick in 2014, have proven that they are ready to play in the NHL.
After leading the OHL in his draft year with 129 points in 68 games, Strome put up another 111 points this season in 12 fewer games, improving his points-per-game average. After posting only 14 points in 33 games during his draft year, Dvorak has scored over 100 points in back-to-back seasons and led the OHL in goal scoring this year in 52 in 59 games.
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Both players served as captains for their respective teams this year, and Dvorak helped lead the London Knights to a Memorial Cup Championship.
Prior to the buyout, the Coyotes had three players slated to play center next season, leaving one spot for either Strome or Dvorak. The club sees both of these players as centers and would prefer not to start either on the wing.
General Manager John Chayka and Head Coach Dave Tippett clearly felt that both of these players are ready to play in the NHL, and that meant that one center had to go.
Martin Hanzal, when healthy, is an excellent defensive center to match up against top competition. Brad Richardson still has two years left on his contract and can be very effective as a fourth line center and penalty killer. Vermette was, unfortunately, the odd man out.
Overall, this was a very smart move by the Coyotes.
There is no sense in keeping one of their top prospects in junior or the AHL if they feel they are ready for the NHL.
On the other hand, it is tough to see Vermette go. We often talk about moves like this and say that they are “strictly business,” but in doing so we forget the human element.
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Vermette has been a great player and person on the ice, in the locker room, and in the community the last five years. He also loved living in Arizona and being a Coyote, so you have to feel for Antoine and his family as they figure out what comes next and prepare to leave a place they call home.
That being said, choosing to move on from the past and make room for the future is another great move by John Chayka, and Arizona Coyotes fans should be very excited for what’s to come.