Arizona Coyotes F Tobias Rieder Signs 2-Year Contract

Arizona Coyotes F Tobias Rieder Appears to be the Next RFA to Ink a New Deal. Reports Suggest He is Expected to Sign a 2-Year Contract ($2.25 Million Dollar Cap Hit)

Announced late on Monday night from Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos and Elliotte Friedman, Arizona Coyotes F Tobias Rieder is expected to sign a new two-year deal worth $4.45 million dollars total ($2.25 million dollar cap hit). It’s believed it will pay him $2 million dollars in the first year and $2.45 million in year two.

It’s been a strange year with so many restricted free agents still without a contract. By removing Rieder from the list, only six RFAs remain: Rasmus Ristolainen (Buffalo), Johnny Gaudreau (Calgary), Rickard Rakell (Anaheim), Hampus Lindholm (Anaheim), Jacob Trouba (Winnipeg), and Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay).

Career

Tobias Rieder, 23, was originally a 4th round selection of the Edmonton Oilers back in 2011. He was acquired by Arizona back in 2013 in exchange for Kyle Kessy before even finishing his OHL career with the Kitchener Rangers.

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He finally made the jump to pro hockey in 2013-14 joining the Yotes AHL affiliate in Portland. Tobias had a very successful rookie season posting 28 goals (48 points) in 64 games. It was a strong enough showing to earn him a longer look in 2014-15. Rieder was limited to just nine AHL games (five points) that year, spending the majority of his time in the Desert suiting up in 72 NHL games (13 goals, eight assists).

After an impressive showing with Team Germany at the World Hockey Championships in 2015, Tobias carried his hot play over to his sophomore season in the NHL. 2015-16 was a breakout year for Rieder with an impressive 14 goals, 23 assists (37 points) in 82 games.

Tobias was also named to the World Cup of Hockey Team Europe squad earlier in the year. It was an overall quiet tournament for the German with a single assist in six games, but the European squad impressed finishing second place.

Resume

CHL Top Prospects Game (2010-11)
U18 WJC Top 3 Player on Team (2010-11)
OHL Playoffs Most Goals (2011-12)
OHL Playoffs Most Points (2011-12)
U20 WJC (D1A) Gold Medal, Most Points (2011-12)
U20 WJC Top 3 Player on Team (2012-13)
World Hockey Championship top 3 Player on Team (2014-15)
World Cup of Hockey Runner Up – Team Europe (2016-17)

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Reaction

Should we be surprised by how long this process was dragged out? Absolutely not. It makes less sense for the likes of Ristolainen, Kucherov, and Gaudreau who have already proven themselves to still be without a contract. The difference here? Arizona Coyotes F Tobias Rieder is coming off one good season. You don’t earn lucrative contracts off one solid campaign – just ask Ottawa Senators Mike Hoffman.

Instead we get exactly what we expected; a bridge deal. Rieder will be 25 by the time his new deal expires, at which point he should have enough experience to earn that big long-term contract. This also gives GM John Chayka a nice two-year window to evaluate the German forward and decide whether he stands to be a core piece in the Coyotes future, or whether he should be traded at some point.