‘Yotes Notes: Martinook will file for salary arbitration

Jordan Martinook’s agent, Jeff Helperl, said Sunday that his client intends to file for salary arbitration before the deadline of 2 p.m. Arizona time on Wednesday.

While Coyotes general manager John Chayka said Saturday he thought talks were going well, Helperl said talks “have gone nowhere,” adding that Martinook deserves more than he is being offered. Helperl declined to discuss numbers.

Martinook, 24, made $612,500 last season in the second year of his two-year, $1.225 million deal. He had career highs in goals (11) and points (25) in 77 games, bouncing between left wing, center and right wing. The Coyotes selected him in the second round (58th overall) of the 2012 Draft.

The Coyotes tendered Martinook a qualifying offer before the June 26 deadline. They also tendered offers to Nick Cousins, who subsequently signed for two years and $2 million, Anthony Duclair and minor leaguers Tyler Gaudet and Marek Langhamer.

Martinook is the only one of the unsigned players who is arbitration eligible.

The two sides could still reach an agreement any time before the hearing. Arbitration hearings will be held between July 20 and Aug. 4 in Toronto, with individual dates and times announced later.

The evidence that can be used in arbitration cases is vast. Here are some examples:

— A player’s performance, including statistics in previous seasons.
— Injuries, illnesses and games played.
— Length of service with the team and in the league.
— Leadership qualities or community impact.
— Players considered comparable to the player in the contract dispute (teams and agents will vary on this assessment).

MINOR LEAGUE SALARIES

The Coyotes added to their American Hockey League team in Tucson on Saturday by signing forwards Zac Rinaldo, Michael Sislo, and defensemen Andrew Campbell and Joel Hanley to two-way contracts.

Campbell signed for two years while the rest signed for one.

Hanley’s deal is for $725,000 at the NHL level; $175,000 in the AHL with $225,000 guaranteed. Rinaldo’s deal is for $700,000 at the NHL level; $100,000 in the AHL with $175,000 guaranteed.

Sislo’s deal is for $650,000 at the NHL level; $200,000 in the AHL with $250,000 guaranteed.

Campbell’s deal is for deal is for $650,000 each season at the NHL level; $200,000 each season in the AHL with $250,000 guaranteed the first season and $275,000 guaranteed the second.

COUSINS EYES NEW OPPORTUNITY

When the Coyotes traded a 2018 fifth-round pick and the rights to unsigned forward prospect Brendan Warren to Philadelphia on June 16 for restricted free agent forward Nick Cousins and unsigned goaltending prospect Merrick Madsen, Cousins said the deal caught him by surprise.

“I’ve never been traded before so I think I was caught off guard a little bit, but at the same time it’s a good opportunity for me in Arizona,” Cousins said. “I think it’s been sort of up and down with Philly so far. I still have room to grow and I’m still young. I’m going to keep establishing myself as an NHL player; an every day player. I think it’s a good change of scenery for me and then sort of a fresh start.”

Cousins said he hasn’t had any substantive discussions about his role, expecting that it will play out in training camp. While he has shown some versatility, he said he is more comfortable at center, which is where the Coyotes have him pegged.

“I’ve played center my whole life,” he said. “I’m sort of a playmaker more so than a shooter.”

Cousins had six goals and 10 assists in 60 games last season and has 12 goals and 15 assists in 107 career NHL games. He is currently training in Belleville, Ontario. He’ll start skating next week and probably arrive in Arizona in late August or early September.

Cousins skates with Coyotes center Brad Richardson in the offseason and has been picking Richardson’s brain for housing recommendations and team background.

LOOSE PUCK

Chayka said interviews for the head coach position could wrap up by the end of this week. Todd Nelson, Dallas Eakins and Sheldon Keefe are all possibilities, according to multiple national reports. Arizona Sports spoke to multiple NHL sources, who requested anonymity, to gauge their opinions on the candidates. Nelson’s name consistently rose to the top of the list.

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