Coyotes avoid arbitration with former third-round center

One player that was eligible to file for salary arbitration earlier Wednesday but did not was Coyotes center Nathan Smith.  There’s a good reason for that, as Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports reports (Twitter link) that the two sides have agreed on a one-year contract, with the paperwork just getting finalized.

The 24-year-old was a third-round pick by Winnipeg back in 2018 (91st overall) but didn’t sign with the Jets.  Instead, he was moved along with the LTIR contract of Bryan Little to Arizona back in March 2022, quickly turning pro thereafter.

While Smith played in 10 games down the stretch that season with Arizona, ice time at the top level was harder to come by this past season. He got into just four games with the Coyotes in 2022-23 while averaging just 7:27 per night of playing time.  Things went a bit better for him with AHL Tucson, as he got into 64 games down there, tallying a dozen goals along with 15 assists.

A one-year, presumably two-way contract would certainly make sense for both sides and will allow Smith an opportunity to show that he is capable of being a part of Arizona’s future plans – such as seemed to be the case a little over a year ago.  

Still waiver-exempt for one more season, it’s likely that Smith will have to start with the Roadrunners again this fall, trying to play his way into a recall as the season progresses.