The Arizona Coyotes signed free agent forward Travis Boyd to a one-year contract, the team tweeted today. Craig Morgan reports that the contract is one-way in nature, and his agent, Ben Hankinson, reports that the deal comes with a cap hit of $750,000.
Boyd, now 27 years old, has yet to truly become a regular in any NHL lineup. With that being said, he’s generally impressed when given the chance. He’s now scored ten points in the NHL for three consecutive seasons, including a 20-point campaign with the Washington Capitals in 2018-19. After impressing again with the Toronto Maple Leafs early in the season (eight points in 20 games), he was picked up by the Vancouver Canucks on waivers, where his game stagnated with just two goals in 19 games.
Boyd will likely be reprising a fourth-line/extra forward role with the Coyotes, but, if he recaptures his offensive touch, could potentially work his way up into third-line minutes and a regular job. It’s a grim outlook for goal-scoring in Arizona, and he could edge out the more defensive-minded Johan Larsson and Jay Beagle for added minutes. How consistently Boyd is able to perform remains to be seen, but it’s a low-risk, solid bet signing for Bill Armstrong and the Coyotes.
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