Coming into the free agency period the Coyotes did not have a lot of money to spend and they had a number of holes up front as well as on the farm. The Coyotes recognized they needed two 2nd/3rd line forwards as well as a farm goalie and some quality reserve players for callup purposes. Thus GM Vardy decided to ship out overpaid defenseman Brian Boucher in a deal that brought in energy forward Matt Cooke. This deal not only solidified one of the forward spots, but also opened up a pile of cap room. It did however force the Coyotes into a position where they needed to sign a defeseman as well. So when all was said and done the coyotes were in need of one 2nd/3rd line forward, a 3rd pairing defenseman, a farm goalie, and some reserve guys who could play 4th line minutes but were also farm-eligible. The Coyotes managed to fill all of their needs while maintaining a projected pro salary of approximately 47 million, and only shelling out 2.4 million in signing bonuses and losing a 3rd round pick as RFA compensation.
Curtis Brown signed by Phoenix 4 years @ 1 million, 400k SB
Curtis was brought back to the Coyotes organization because of his excellent defensive capabilities. The coyotes used their hometown discount on Curtis to get him re-signed to a lesser contract than he had the previous season (probably one of the only FA's to do so). He'll start the season helping out the farm team, but will likely be one of the first call-ups for injuries. The team already knows that Curtis will be heading to Europe next year but they signed him long-term with the hopes he will eventually return.
Eric Boulton signed by Phoenix 4 years @ 500k
Boulton will most likely spend the entire season on the farm. He does have respectable rates and can be brought up if more toughness is needed. The Coyotes signed him long term as a low-risk signing with the potential to become a 4th line contributor down the line. If he continues to see regular icetime in the NHL he may be able to crack the Phoenix roster more consistently in the later years of is contract.
Marcel Goc signed by Phoenix (Fla gets SJ 3rd as comp) 1 year @ 1.1 million
The Coyotes too a risk on this one. Once a 1st round pick in the NHL, Goc has taken some time to develop and is showing signs that he just might not reach his potential. He is however considered to be a guy who might still get there, and unlike some European prospects he doesn't seem a risk to flee to the KHL or other competing leagues. At a reasonable farm contract, and the cost of a LATE 3rd round pick the Coyotes figured they have the ability to sit on Goc at least one season and see what he does with more icetime this year in San Jose (NHL).
Teppo Numminen signs with Phoenix 1 year @ 2 million, 1 million SB
Teppo is a stop gap player for this season for the Coyotes. After shipping out Boucher to clear cap space, the Coyotes were short a top-6 defenseman. Teppo fits in niceley with Pothier on the 3rd pairing unit, taking some pressure off the young Josh Gorges. His contract is a little high, but he brings a very steady presence to the Coyotes blueline and considering some of the other contracts out there, the Coyotes were happy to get Numminen signed.
Ian Laperierre signs in Phoenix 2 years @ 2.5 million, 1 million SB
The Coyotes were in need of forwards heading into the free agent period, and after watching the skyrocketing salaries of the true "top-6" type forwards, the Coyotes decided to spend a little less and get a guy who can fill in on their 2nd line, at least for now. Laperierre will be given every chance to proove himself on the Coyotes 2nd line with Nolan and Kozlov. If he performs well there he'll prove to be a very affordable 2nd liner. If he struggles and the Coyotes have to bring in a different player to replace him Laperierre will end up an overpaid checking centre. Either way, it's a risk-reward move for the Coyotes.
Patrick Lalime signed by Phoenix 4 years @ 2.5 million
The Coyotes fully expected to sign a farm goalie in free agency to allow Raycroft to back-up Kolzig on the pro team, but when the farmer salaries went out of control the Coyotes took a shot in the dark and placed a bid on Lalime. With a bid that barely exceeded the salaries offered to the farmer guys the Coyotes certainly did not expect to win out on Lalime. Well, Lalime has signed on in Phoneix for 4 years at 2.5 million per season. Not bad for a backup, and with the ability to send Raycroft to the farm, the Coyotes are quite pleased with the way this turned out. Lalime has found his way into a solid situation in the NHL backing up Miller in Buffalo. While he won't get many games, he is the undisputed backup and should put up decent numbers with a strong Buffalo team for a number of years. He'll hopefully be a solid backup for the Coyotes for years to come. Not bad for 2.5 million a season.
