Arizona Coyotes sign Matias Maccelli to three-year deal

TEMPE, ARIZONA - APRIL 01: Matias Maccelli #63 of the Arizona Coyotes skates with the puck against the San Jose Sharks at Mullett Arena on April 01, 2023 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Zac BonDurant/Getty Images)
TEMPE, ARIZONA - APRIL 01: Matias Maccelli #63 of the Arizona Coyotes skates with the puck against the San Jose Sharks at Mullett Arena on April 01, 2023 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Zac BonDurant/Getty Images)

The Arizona Coyotes have locked up key restricted free agent Matias Maccelli to a new three-year contract with the team.

Matias Maccelli‘s immediate future remains in the desert as he has agreed to a new three-year contract with the Arizona Coyotes, carrying a cap hit of $3.425 million.

The Finnish winger, originally selected by the Coyotes in the fourth round (98th overall) of the 2019 Draft, had a breakout season in the NHL in 2022-23.

After featuring in 23 games the previous year, Maccelli put on a show in his official full rookie campaign, putting up 49 total points (11 goals, 38 assists) in 64 games for the Coyotes.

His strong performances saw him finish fourth in Calder voting, while some would argue he deserved to be higher and would’ve been had he played all 82 games.

Along with coming close in top rookie voting, Maccelli was named to the NHL’s All-Rookie Team, alongside the likes of Matty Beniers and Owen Power.

The left-shot winger is expected to play a key role in the team taking the next steps in its rebuild, playing top-six minutes regularly as the team looks to build on last season’s surprise showing.

With regular linemate Nick Bjugstad returning, along with the additions of Jason Zucker and Alex Kerfoot, Maccelli could find himself playing beside a number of different players across this season as the Coyotes try to be more competitive.

Other young players working their way through the system can look to Maccelli as a guiding light after impressing in his home country before bursting into the NHL last season, with his status as a fourth round draft pick making his development even more impressive.

Getting Maccelli locked up for three seasons gives the Coyotes some comfort, knowing they will have him playing a key role over the next few seasons, with more and more young players beginning to feed into the roster along the way.

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The hope will be that the Coyotes will be a playoff team once again before his new deal expires in 2026, with his next contract potentially even longer if he continues on an upwards trajectory.