Top Arizona Coyotes players playing for a contract this season
By Jim Lynch
We already talked about the core pieces of the Arizona Coyotes. However, when it comes to the future there are still some pieces missing.
Arizona has a slew of players that are coming off the books next season, that can be both a good and bad thing. The Coyotes are going to look different next season, but how different depends on the level the team plays at this season, and how good the players are.
If the Coyotes are out of the playoffs by February some of the players listed here might find themselves playing someplace else. However, if they are in the playoffs then the Coyotes might take a risk that some of them will re-sign with the team.
Not having a contract is an incentive to play better. If players succeed they will make more money the following offseason. Just imagine if Darcy Kuemper didn’t take the contract the Coyotes offered him. He could have made a lot more money, especially at the level he is playing at.
Let’s jump right in with some of the top ‘Yotes players playing for a contract this season.
Carl Söderberg UFA
Carl Soderberg is now 34 years old and makes over 4 million a season. The Coyotes centerman has been with the organization for just this season, and in his time with the team, he has registered 5 points.
Soderberg, however great in the face-off dot, is not the Coyotes top player they need to sign in the offseason. At 34 years of age Soderberg has his best hockey behind him. If he wants to stay in the desert he will need to take a pay cut.
Soderberg has 250 points over the course of his 7-year career. Soderberg only started playing in the NHL at the age of 27 for the Boston Bruins.
Vinnie Hinostroza RFA
Vinnie Hinostroza did not start his career in the desert. Like a lot of his teammates, Hinostroza began his career in Chicago. He was drafted in the 6th round of the 2012 NHL draft.
Hinostroza is now on a contract of 1.5 million dollars that he signed in Chicago back in the summer of 2018. Over the course of his 185 game career, Hinostroza has registered only 51 points. However, Hinostroza is trending up.
| Scoring | Goals | Assists | Shots | Ice Time | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Age | Tm | Lg | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM | EV | PP | SH | GW | EV | PP | SH | S | S% | TSA | TOI | ATOI | FOW | FOL | FO% | BLK | HIT | TK | GV | Awards |
| 2015-16 | 21 | CHI | NHL | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0.0 | 10 | 61 | 8:41 | 13 | 19 | 40.6 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | |
| 2016-17 | 22 | CHI | NHL | 49 | 6 | 8 | 14 | -1 | 17 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 76 | 7.9 | 132 | 587 | 11:59 | 68 | 103 | 39.8 | 19 | 31 | 27 | 15 | |
| 2017-18 | 23 | CHI | NHL | 50 | 7 | 18 | 25 | 5 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 86 | 8.1 | 183 | 691 | 13:49 | 39 | 50 | 43.8 | 17 | 26 | 27 | 16 | |
| 2018-19 | 24 | ARI | NHL | 72 | 16 | 23 | 39 | -4 | 14 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 152 | 10.5 | 264 | 1099 | 15:16 | 39 | 64 | 37.9 | 41 | 69 | 28 | 34 | |
| 2019-20 | 25 | ARI | NHL | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0.0 | 15 | 89 | 12:39 | 8 | 6 | 57.1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | |
| 3 yrs | CHI | NHL | 106 | 13 | 26 | 39 | 3 | 33 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 22 | 4 | 0 | 168 | 7.7 | 325 | 1339 | 12:38 | 120 | 172 | 41.1 | 38 | 59 | 57 | 32 | ||
| 2 yrs | ARI | NHL | 79 | 16 | 25 | 41 | -4 | 14 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 162 | 9.9 | 279 | 1188 | 15:02 | 47 | 70 | 40.2 | 44 | 71 | 31 | 37 | ||
| Career | 5 yrs | NHL | 185 | 29 | 51 | 80 | -1 | 47 | 25 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 45 | 6 | 0 | 330 | 8.8 | 604 | 2527 | 13:39 | 167 | 242 | 40.8 | 82 | 130 | 88 | 69 |
Provided by Hockey-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 10/21/2019.
Last season with the Coyotes Hinostroza registered 36 points with the team, including 16 goals. At just 25 years of age, the best hockey of his career is still in front of him, and I see no reason Hinistroza should not be re-signed by the Coyotes for 1 or 2 million a year.
Brad Richardson UFA
Brad Richardson can score goals. Just watch the madness he had last season against the Canucks.
I see no reason the 34-year-old Richardson should not re-sign with the desert, as long as he is willing to take a pay cut.
Richardson signed a contract with the Coyotes 2 years ago for just 1.25 million a season. He is a reliable player that the Coyotes are lucky to have. I believe he should re-sign with the team, as long as they don’t trade him before the deadline for some prospects or anything like that.
Christian Fischer RFA
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Christian Fischer was drafted in the second round back in 2015. He has played with the team steadily since the 2017-18 season and in that time he has put up 54 points.
Fischer will be an RFA at the age of just 22 years old. I really think that he should be able to resign with the team for a very reasonable deal, especially considering he has been scratched for 1 game this season.
Fischer has the ability to make himself a bigger deal on the team, let’s see if he can do it.
Kyle Capobianco RFA
Kyle Capobianco registered his first goal last week in a game against the Ottawa Senators. It will be interesting to see what kind of contract the RFA asks for this season.
Capobianco has been given a great opportunity to make a name for himself at the NHL level after the injury of Niklas Hjalmarsson and Jordan Oesterle. I believe Capobianco can step up to the plate, he has only played in 6 games over the course of his NHL career, maybe he can play in more this season.
The Coyotes have a lot of contracts coming up this offseason. This team will have to make room to keep all their players, otherwise, change is coming for the Arizona Coyotes.