Arizona Coyotes: Grading the Christian Fischer signing

Christian Fischer #36 of the Arizona Coyotes (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Christian Fischer #36 of the Arizona Coyotes (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

The Arizona Coyotes finally have some action after re-signing ChristianFischer.

The Arizona Coyotes have been very quiet this offseason as they’ve been trying to cut payroll. However, they finally got some work done on Monday, Oct. 19, when they re-signed RFA forward Christian Fischer.

Last season, Fischer had nine points in 58 games for the Coyotes while averaging 11:01 of ice time per game. Additionally, he appeared in nine postseason games for the Coyotes, recording one assist.

In 213 career regular season games, Fischer has recorded 63 points. 33 of those points came during the 2017-18 season.

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Contract Details

According to the team, Fischer has signed a two-year deal, though they didn’t release the financial terms. Craig Morgan is reporting it’s a $1 million average annual value, or cap hit. After this deal expires, Fischer will still be a restricted free agent.

Grading The Signing

Fischer has been in decline the past two seasons, but he’s still a solid bottom-six forward. Defensively, Fischer is very sound, as he’s trusted with tough minutes. Per Puck IQ, 37.7% of his 5v5 ice time was spent against “elite” competition. He’s also good at drawing penalties while also staying out of the penalty box and still being physical, which is a rarity.

The Coyotes are hoping Fischer can bounce back after two rough seasons. He was quite good in 2017-18. If Fischer can get back to that kind of production, this contract will be a significant bargain.

At the very least, Fischer is an effective bottom six forward. If the Coyotes put him with Johan Larsson, that’s a pretty good way to ensure nothing happens on the ice. Arizona will likely be asking Fischer to improve his offense, as they need more scoring next season. That’s going to be mighty difficult for them to do without Taylor Hall.

Overall, this is a pretty fair deal for both sides.

Grade: B-