The Arizona Coyotes have signed a trio of veteran players to open free agency.
Per club releases, the Coyotes have signed forward Nick Bjugstad and defensemen Troy Stecher and Josh Brown to contracts. Brown’s deal extends through the 2023–24 season, while Bjugstad and Stecher are signed for 2022–23.
Stecher’s one-year deal with the Coyotes is reportedly for $1.2 million. The 28-year-old left-handed defenseman split the 2021–22 season between the Detroit Red Wings and Los Angeles Kings, scoring one goal and three assists while averaging 16:40 in 29 games.
Bjugstad’s one-year deal in Arizona reportedly comes in at $900,000. The big right-handed center turns 30 in four days and is coming off a season where he scored seven goals and 13 points in 57 games with the Minnesota Wild.
Brown, 28, has a two-year contract with the Coyotes, although the financial terms of the deal are currently unknown. The 6-foot-5 right-handed defender played for the Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins during the 2021–22 season, racking up six assists and averaging 14:13 in 52 games.
With Brown and Stecher now in the desert, the Coyotes have 11 defensemen signed for the 2021–22 season: Jakob Chychrun, Shayne Gostisbehere, J.J. Moser, Victor Soderstrom, Stecher, Brown, Dysin Mayo, Nemeth, Vladislav Kolyachonok, Conor Timmins and Cam Dineen.
Also on Wednesday, Arizona announced a new one-year deal with forward Laurent Dauphin, who was originally drafted by the Coyotes back in 2013. Dauphin, a 27-year-old center, scored four goals and 12 points in 38 games with the Montreal Canadiens in 2021–22.
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