Coyotes sign Connor Murphy for 6 years, Michael Stone for 1
The Arizona Coyotes are all-in on the continued development of defenseman Connor Murphy, and the feeling is mutual.
Murphy, 23, signed a six-year contract with the Coyotes on Thursday. Craig Morgan of ArizonaSports.com reported that the deal is worth $23.1 million over the life of the contract -- an average of $3.85 million per year.
The Murphy was the first of two contract dominos to fall on Thursday. Later in the day, the team announced that Michael Stone had agreed to a one-year deal. Both were restricted free agents.
Stone's deal -- worth a reported $4 million -- avoided an Aug. 4 arbitration hearing. He's coming off a career-best 36-point season, but his contract negotiations were complicated by a torn ACL and torn MCL suffered on March 26.
Murphy paired with Oliver Ekman-Larsson on the Coyotes top defensive pairing for the much of the latter half of his second full season. He said he had no expectation of signing a contract of this duration when negotiations began, but he was pleased when the Coyotes took the conversation in that direction.
"I'm extremely excited. I love Arizona and my teammates and the future that we have with this team. I couldn't be more excited," he said.
"I can't say enough how fortunate I am to have a team that believes in me and puts trust in where I am and where I'm going to be.
"It's a place where I want to play and want to be a part of. It's easy to have that decision when you have the trust of the organization."
Murphy, the team's first-round draft pick in 2011 (20th overall), had six goals, 11 assists and 48 penalty minutes in 78 games last season. He was second on the team with 175 hits and 139 blocked shots and improved his plus-minus rating from minus 27 to plus 5.
"At only 23, Connor has established himself as a very good NHL defenseman," general manager John Chayka said. "He's a great skater, a fierce competitor and he has an excellent work ethic. We look forward to him taking the next step and having him on our blue line for many years to come."
Chayka also said he considers Murphy to be part of the team's leadership core moving forward -- both in the locker room and the community.
"We think he can be part of our leadership group for a long, long time," Chayka said.
"He's a high, high character guy. I don't have any issues that complacency will be an issue at all. He's dedicated himself to doing anything and everything to improve his game."
Murphy began his off-season by playing for Team USA in the IIHF World Championships -- contributing three goals and two assists for the U.S., which finished fourth. Since then, he's been in the Columbus, Ohio, area working on his skating and adding strength and muscle to his 6-foot-3, 212-pound frame. He said have the contract settled provides added motivation for the upcoming season.
"I woke up today with the same mind-set I had before," he said. "If anything, it gives you more motivation to try to become that consistent top defenseman that I want to become."
Michael Stone set career highs with 30 assists and 36 points last season before suffering a torn ACL and MCL.
Stone, 26, recorded six goals, 30 assists and 62 penalty minutes in 75 games last season, his fifth with the team. He led the team with 143 blocked shots and was a key member of the power play.
Stone said the injury factored into negotiations.
"If I would have ended the season healthy last year, I think this process might have gone a little differently. Just bad timing, I guess.
"I would love to be here long term, That's a goal of mine, I love it here.
"The one-year deal is going to give me a chance to prove myself and hopefully we can work something out down the road."
Chayka said the team is open to that possibility: "We still view Michael Stone as a long-term player for the Coyotes.
"Right now it wasn't the right time to execute that vision. Certainly it's something we can revisit."
The original prognosis on Stone's recovery was six months, and he said it's going well. He's done some running but hasn't been on the ice yet.
He arrived in town Wednesday and will ramp up activities soon under team supervision.
"I'm pushing to be ready to go for the start of the season," he said. "Whether that happens or not, we've got to see how everything responds."
Murphy and Stone are key members of what appears to be deeper, more talented corps of Coyotes defenseman. The team has added Alex Goligoski, Luke Schenn, Jamie McBain and Anthony DeAngelo to a returning group that also includes Ekman-Larsson, Zbynek Michalek, Kevin Connauton and Klas Dahlbeck.
Wing Tobias Rieder is the lone remaining unsigned restricted free agent. He reportedly is considering playing in Europe next season.
