NHL Notebook: Arizona Coyotes avoid arbitration with new contract for Jack McBain and how Logan Cooley turning pro is a game changer for the ‘Yotes
11 months ago
The Arizona Coyotes and forward Jack McBain have come to terms on a two-year deal with an AAV of $1.6 million, just hours ahead of a scheduled arbitration hearing for the young 23-year-old.
McBain is coming off his first year with the Coyotes with a full-time roster spot scoring 12 goals and 26 points with 13:59 of average ice time. The six-foot-four centre quickly developed his skills on the ice leading to McBain becoming a steady second and third-line player playing alongside Matias Maccelli and Lawson Crouse. His skills on the ice also shined on the penalty kill, which helped establish himself as an everyday NHL player.
Originally the Coyotes organization proposed a two-year deal with a $1.2 million cap hit, but McBain’s camp filed for a one-year $2.25 million contract which prompted the hearing.
Here’s more from Daily Faceoff‘s Vasili Gianarakos on the deal:
In his final season at Boston College in 2021-22, McBain scored 19 goals and added 14 assists for a total of 33 points in 24 games played. After his season at Boston College was over the center got an opportunity to suit up in 10 games for Arizona to finish out the 2021-22 NHL season. Over that 10-game stretch, McBain put up two goals and one assist for a total of three points.
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Logan Cooley turning pro is a game changer for the Arizona Coyotes
On Thursday, the Arizona Coyotes signed top-prospect Logan Cooley to an entry-level contract, and its results could be a game-changer for the rebuilding Arizona Coyotes.
In May, the forward announced he’s be returning for his sophomore season with the Golden Gophers at the University of Manitoba after losing the NCAA National Championship Final to the Quinnipiac Bobcats. Still, his mind had clearly changed after signing his three-year deal with the Coyotes.
In his 2022-23 campaign with the Golden Gophers, Cooley finished second in the NCAA with 60 points in 39 games and was named a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, presented to the nation’s top men’s ice hockey player.
Only 10 players since 1990 have reached the 60 points mark in the NCAA before the age of 19. Last year it was Cooley and Columbus Blue Jackets Adam Fantilli. All eight other players (Doug Weight, Paul Kariya, Brian Gionta, Mike Cammalleri, Zach Praise, Thomas Vanek, Jack Eichel, and Brock Boeser) ended up playing in the NHL.
Suppose Cooley reaches his potential as the Coyotes forecasted top centre; in that case, the team may end up with enviable depth down the middle. As of right now, Cooley is projected to be the team’s second-line centre ahead of next season, playing alongside fellow top prospect Dylan Guenther and newly acquired Jason Zucker.
Here’s more on how Cooley signing with the Coyotes is a game changer from Daily Faceoff’s Mike Gould:
In a perfect world for the Coyotes, it might just end up being a Desert Dog-fight for positioning around the fourth and fifth spots in the Central next year. Playoff hockey in Tempe might still be a fantasy, but it’s no longer an impossibility. Not with Keller, Cooley, Maccelli, and Schmaltz all under contract for at least the next three years.
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