Six players for the Arizona Coyotes to consider offer sheeting

Offer sheets are the talk of the NHL these days and the Arizona Coyotes could be in a good place to look into them.

The Arizona Coyotes consistently have to come up with creative ways of reaching the cap floor and could do with adding some legitimate star power to their roster.

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Rumours continue to persist about the team’s long-term future in the Copper State, with Houston being the regular location of theoretical relocations of the team.

The Coyotes appear to finally be turning a corner in their long-term development, with some impressive young players starting to emerge with head coach Rick Tocchet also finally getting his team playing in a competitive way.

If the team had better luck with injuries, it could be realistic to expect them to be pushing for the playoffs regularly – but there is still something missing.

The Coyotes have a solid team, with some likeable players, but what they do lack is some legitimate star power that many other teams in the league boast.

This off-season there will be a large number of players becoming restricted free agents, all of whom could be the target of offer sheets.

If the Coyotes believe they need a star player to finally become the team they have shown flashes of this season, then an offer sheet could be an intriguing option to consider.

With that in mind, we take a look at six players that would be worth looking at making an offer sheet for this upcoming off-season.

Auston Matthews

This option is regularly discussed by fans on social media and would be the most logical target for the Arizona Coyotes.

At 21 years old, Auston Matthews is a bona fide stud in the NHL – registering 46 points (23 goals, 23 assists) in just 37 games this season already.

He is just three goals shy of 100 NHL goals in his first three seasons and the best part about him could be his willingness to sign an offer sheet coming from the Coyotes.

Matthews grew up in Arizona and is a well-publicised fan of the team, with players such as Danny Briere helping to grow his interest in the game.

There has been a lot of talks that Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs are working on a new deal, but terms of the deal could see him stick around in Canada for just five more seasons.

This would allow Matthews to hit free agency and seek other options by the time he is 27, still in his prime, and could see him opt to return home and wear the Coyotes red.

However, the deal is not yet done and could drag out long if both sides disagree on the particulars of a new long-term contract.

If this drags out to July 1st, the Arizona Coyotes need to jump at the opportunity to force the Leafs’ hand, targeting a player that would do so much more for hockey in the state than any other player on this list.

The Leafs have some very expensive contracts to negotiate this off-season, with very little in the way of cap space available to get all their required deals locked up.

If the Arizona Coyotes have legitimate goals of boosting interest in the team within the state, offer sheeting Matthews, along with one of his teammates (mentioned later), should be a top priority.

It would cost the Coyotes the next four seasons of first-round draft picks, but Matthews is worth the cost due to what he offers far beyond exceptional performances on the ice.

No other player in the league draws as much attention in the state of Arizona than Matthews and, although expensive, bringing ‘Papi’ back to the desert would be the biggest move in franchise history.

Brayden Point

While the Toronto Maple Leafs have some questions regarding their cap next season, the Tampa Bay Lightning could be in an even worse situation when trying to renegotiate with one of their top stars.

At present, the Lightning have just over $6 million available in cap space next year with at least four players they will need to consider new deals for.

Brayden Point is an RFA this off-season and could easily command a salary over $6 million, with Anton Stralman, Braydon Coburn and Dan Girardi all becoming UFAs at the same time.

With so little room to move, the Lightning might need to offload players before the end of the current seasons to allow themselves more room to get a deal done with Point.

Meanwhile, the Arizona Coyotes could swoop in and offer sheet him in the $8 – $9 million range, up to $3 million more than Tampa’s projected cap space for next season.

This would force the Florida club into a move, or two, if they want to hold on to Point , with the alternative being that they let him walk so they can try and retain the majority of the rest of their roster.

Point would be a dynamic player for the Coyotes and could invigorate the fanbase, giving them a legitimate top line player to play alongside Clayton Keller.

The Coyotes need more goalscoring and Point is good for around 30 goals a season, reaching that mark already this season after earning 32 in 2017/18.

The 22-year-old centre would be a big upgrade over the likes of Derek Stepan and would upgrade the Coyotes overnight.

With the Lightning’s cap situation, Point might be inclined to accept an offer sheet if he feels he is better off earning more right now, with Tampa having very little negotiating power at this stage.

Mitch Marner

This situation only works if the Arizona Coyotes also target Auston Matthews at the same time, with the Leafs being forced into a huge decision.

Mitch Marner‘s contract situation appears more complicated that Matthews’, with the dynamic winger not willing to discuss a new deal until after the season.

The Coyotes should make a hard move for both Matthews and Marner, with the hope that both players sign – forcing the Leafs into making a decision as to which player they’d prefer to keep.

The dream for the Coyotes would be that the Leafs go with the ‘good Canadian kid’ from Ontario that grew up a Leafs fan, opting to let the Coyotes fan move to the team he secretly wants to play for – we assume.

If this comes to pass, the Coyotes land their dream guy. If the Leafs opted to keep Matthews, however, Arizona would still land one of the best talents in the entire NHL.

With Keller on the left and Marner on the right, the Coyotes could build a hugely talented top line that Barrett Hayton could eventually grow into – giving them a young, dynamic trio for many years to come.

Marner, unfortunately, isn’t likely to sign an offer sheet unless he truly feels the Leafs aren’t offering anywhere near what he believes he is worth.

If that is the situation that comes to pass, the Coyotes could certainly be huge beneficiaries and land a player to boost fan interest and jersey sales.

Timo Meier

What would be better than stealing one of your divisional rivals’ top young talents? For the Arizona Coyotes the answer could be nothing.

San Jose Sharks’ Timo Meier is set to become an RFA this off-season and the team have some serious questions to address.

Along with Meier, the Sharks have Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton and Erik Karlsson to negotiate new deals with.

Karlsson will be expected to land a deal in the $10 million range, leaving just $11 million to be split between Meier, Pavelski and Thornton – with the Sharks having a total of $21 million available.

Offering Meier a deal in the $8 million range could force the Sharks to give up on their top young talent, or potentially see some club legends in Pavelski and Thornton walk.

Goalscoring is the Coyotes’ biggest issue and Meier could certainly become one of the team’s top players in this regard, already looking good for 20+ goals per season.

He might not be the biggest name to target, but adding a solid player of Meier’s quality on the top line could do much to improve the team’s success each season.

With Keller and Hayton developing nicely, the Coyotes should certainly aim to roll with a young team in the future and look at harming a divisional rival in the process.

William Karlsson

The Coyotes have already targeted one divisional rival in this list, so why not target another?

William Karlsson might not be the biggest name on this list, but what he has proven himself to be is a decent scoring winger that could add quite a bit to the Arizona Coyotes.

The Vegas Golden Knights have just $6 million in cap space next season and have a long list of free agents they need to re-sign, including Karlsson.

Karlsson might be looking to earn around $5 million a season, which could be too much for the Golden Knights to stomach without making some moves first.

If the Coyotes are willing to overpay Karlsson for a few seasons, they could land him relatively easily compared to some of the other players mentioned on this list.

It would see a key player stolen from a divisional rival and would be a nice addition for the Coyotes, especially if they want to build depth up front.

While he isn’t likely to score 43 goals in a season again, Karlsson could be a solid 20+ goal scorer for the Coyotes and could be one player that the team legitimately considers making a move for this off-season.

Karlsson would come cheaper than the rest of the players on this list and could be the most realistic, but who would you like to see the Arizona Coyotes target with an offer sheet this off-season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!