Arizona Coyotes: Trying To Make Best Of Mike Smith

The Arizona Coyotes are trying to salvage some value from Mike Smith’s monstrous contract

Normally, teams rejoice when they find a goaltender who exceeds their expectations right off the bat.

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Such is the case for the Arizona Coyotes, who have seen newly acquired backup Devan Dubnyk elevate himself above the level he played at in Edmonton. The Coyotes acquired him under the assumption that his years as a starter had been a mistake, but his 5-0-1 record to start off the season — coupled with a .926 SV%, 2.34 GAA, and a shutout — suggest otherwise.

The only problem? The Coyotes inked current starter Mike Smith to a 6 year, $34 million dollar contract at the start of last season. It comes saddled with a heft $5.67 million cap hit, and includes a no-movement clause that doesn’t expire until midway through the contract’s lifespan.

Dubnyk signed on for a one-year, $800,000 contract during free agency this summer; in any other instance, the team would likely have already started the transition to giving him a heftier percentage of the workload. With no way to move Smith in the forseeable future, though, they’re hoping for something a little different — general manager Don Maloney is hoping that Dubnyk’s success will inspire Smith to play better.

So far this season, the 32-year-old starter has a 4-10-1 record. His GAA is a whopping 3.30, and his SV% is devastatingly low at .890…. and that’s a drastic improvement over his play in October, which saw him allow nearly six goals a game before the team started playing Dubnyk with more frequency.

Dubnyk, to his credit, has stood strongly behind Smith from day one — and that hasn’t changed. He’s told the media that he remembers from his own starting experience how frustrating it can be when you hit a slump and your backup hits a hot streak, and insists that he’s here to help Smith be the best he can be.

The team has already dealt with ownership issues and low game attendance in the past, though. The last thing they need is a season that collapses because the starter can’t carry his weight on the team; a playoff appearance is obviously ideal, but at the very least, the team relies on remaining competitive to draw in new fans and boost crowds.

It will become clear as the team heads into December whether Smith can improve or not — but if he doesn’t, the team will be faced with the possible tough option of buying out their second player in as many seasons.

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