Arizona Coyotes sign Michael Grabner to three-year deal

The Arizona Coyotes have signed free agent winger Michael Grabner to a three-year deal, the team announced Sunday.

Going to Phoenix 😉

— Michael Grabner (@grabs40) July 1, 2018

The deal is worth an average of $3.35 million per year, 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station’s Craig Morgan reported Sunday.

“We are very pleased to sign Michael to a three-year contract,” Coyotes general manager John Chayka said in a release. “Michael is an excellent skater, elite penalty killer, and a proven even strength scorer. He will add skill and experience to our forward group and we are excited to have him join the Coyotes.”

Grabner, 30, scored 27 goals in each of the past two seasons and has had 20+ goals four times in his nine NHL seasons (he also had 16 goals in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season). In 80 games between the Rangers and Devils last year, the left-handed winger scored 27-9-36 with a 16.2 shot percentage.

The Austria native was a first-round pick (14th overall) by the Vancouver Canucks in 2006. He played one NHL season there before skating for the Islanders, Maple Leafs, Rangers and Devils. He scored 34-18-52 in 2010-11, his first full NHL season, and that goal total remains his career high.

Morgan reported Friday that the Coyotes had discussions with Perron’s representatives, as well as that of free agent wingers James van Riemsdyk and Michael Grabner.

Coyotes GM John Chayka implied last week that the team would look to add a player on the wing.

“We feel like we can add to our wingers,” he said on June 25. “Free agency is one way to add some wingers who we think highly of and can add a lot to our group. We’re continuing to build here, so if there’s a player out there and ownership is on board, we’ll take that step.”

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