The NHL free-agent market's top remaining goal scorer not named Ilya Kovalchuk(notes) is staying in Arizona.
The Phoenix Coyotes re-signed unrestricted free agent Lee Stempniak(notes) to a two-year contract, the Arizona Republic reported on its website late Sunday.
Stempniak will be paid $3.8 million for the two years, according to media reports—$1.5 million for 2010-11, $2.3 million for 2011-12. His cap hit is $1.9 million according to capgeek.com.
"We are very pleased to have signed Lee to football jerseya two-year contract," GM Don Maloney said in a statement. "He played a key offensive role with our team down the stretch last season. He is just entering the prime of his career and we look forward to him having continued success with our organization."
Phoenix acquired Stempniak, 27, in a trade deadline deal that immediately paid dividends—he had 14 goals in 18 regular-season games. Before getting dealt to the Coyotes, Stempniak had 14 goals and 16 assists in 62 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Stempniak finished the season with 28 goals, his highest such total since 2006-07, when he had 27 with the St. Louis Blues. In the three interim seasons, he hadn't scored more than 14. He had two assists in seven playoff games.
"I'm not going to score whatever the pace would be for 14 goals in 18 games, but at the same, I don't think last year was a fluke," he said in a conference call. "I hit a lot of Cincinnati Bengals jersey posts in Toronto and got stopped on a few breakaways and I scored more goals in Phoenix. I feel like it all balanced out."
A Blues fifth-round pick, 148th overall, in 2003, Stempniak has 96 goals and 113 assists in 374 career games with the Blues, Maple Leafs and Coyotes.
Stempniak clocks behind star sniper Ilya Kovalchuk, who scored 42 goals last season with Atlanta and New Jersey. Kovalchuk, though, may not be a free agent for much longer. The summer-long saga could come to an end over the next few days, as the league is deciding whether to accept his reported 15-year, $100 million deal with the Devils.
The deal followed two months of Cleveland Browns jerseyuncertainty after Stempniak became an unrestricted free agent. He is pleased to have the deal done. "I had a great experience there and I really enjoy the coaches and the players. It would have been tough to leave," Stempniak told the Coyotes' website.
Stempniak also said he had other offers but kept in touch with the Coyotes.
The Coyotes open training camp Sept. 17, and Stempniak's signing increases competition for younger forwards trying to crack the roster. Among them are Kyle Turris(notes), Viktor Tikhonov(notes), Alexandre Picard and Brett MacLean(notes).
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