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2010 NHL Free Agency: Coyotes sign Martin Hanzal to two-year, $3.6M contract

Martin Hanzal, Kris Draper

Phoenix Coyotes’ Martin Hanzal, of the Czech Republic, checks Detroit Red Wings’ Kris Draper in the second period of Game 4 of a first-round NHL hockey Western Conference playoff series in Detroit, Tuesday, April 20, 2010. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

AP

The Phoenix Coyotes solved their largest remaining on-ice issue today, wrapping up 6'5" forward Martin Hanzal to a two-year deal that ESPN’s EJ Hradek reports will be worth $1.5 million during the 2010-11 season and $2.1 million in 11-12. That deal will register a $1.8 million annual salary cap hit.

Hanzal hovers around 30-something points per season (33, 31 and 35 points in his three seasons in the NHL) while providing a substantial presence as a big two-way forward. He registered a career-high 104 PIM in 2009-10, so if he improves his scoring punch a bit he might be an interesting choice in fantasy hockey.

His deal is a slightly scaled down version of Peter Mueller’s and while Hanzal won’t approach the former Coyotes forward’s level of offense, he too has a great chance of exceeding the value of his deal. Hanzal is the kind of physical, defensive-minded forward who is especially useful in hindering some of the Pacific division’s biggest pivots including Joe Thornton and Anze Kopitar.

Don Maloney earned the first ever GM of the Year award for his work in the 2009-10 season and he’s putting himself in position to earn it for the second year in a row. I really like what he’s done this off-season, even if most of his moves are on the less-than-flashy level.