Coyotes 'Happy to Invest' in Dvorak

GLENDALE --Christian Dvorak has been a consistent two-way center for the Coyotes for two seasons and the team is banking on that trend to continue.
With one year left on his current contract, Arizona secured Dvorak's services for six more years beyond it on Thursday by signing the 22-year-old to a lengthy extension.

"We're happy to invest in a person like Christian Dvorak," General Manager John Chayka said. "Obviously, he's a very talented person and player ... Our view is this is a player we want as part of our group for the long-term. We could have waited it out, make him play another year, but we just think he's getting better and better, and the market is going to continue to rise. We felt like this was a deal that made sense for both sides at this time."
Dvorak notched 37 points (15 goals, 22 assists) in 78 games last season, his second in the NHL. Those stats were almost identical to the numbers he tallied in 78 games as a rookie in 2016-17 (15 goals, 18 assists). Only three other players in Coyotes history - Peter Mueller, Tobias Rieder and Brendan Perlini - have notched at least 10 goals in each of their first two seasons.

"I got better on both sides of the puck, offensively and defensively," Dvorak said of his sophomore season. "I want to keep doing that moving forward, as well as keep producing more and make sure I stay a two-way center."
Dvorak ranked tied for third on the team with 15 goals last season, and placed second behind only Derek Stepan in face-offs taken (1,139) and face-offs won (585). His face-off success rate (51.4 percent) ranked second on the team just slightly behind Brad Richardson (52.1 percent).
"I take a lot of pride in face-offs and I think I got a lot better (last year) than my first year," Dvorak said. "It's a key component of the game and something I want to get better at."
Dvorak is expected to be the center of the third line, but he knows with centers Derek Stepan, Alex Galchenyuk, Brad Richardson, Dylan Strome and Nick Cousins in the mix that nothing is set in stone in August.
"It's definitely not up to me where I end up on the depth chart or anything like that," Dvorak said. "That's up to the coach. I think it's good we have a lot of depth at center. I think it means we are better as a team, and I'm very excited about the team we have."

Dvorak likes the additions the Coyotes have made this off-season. He said he's been working on his acceleration so he can better skate with newcomers Galchenyuk, Michael Grabner and Vinnie Hinostroza.
"We made additions of some fast wingers, and we already had some to begin with, so I want to keep up with them, and I think that will be an improvement in my game," Dvorak said. "We improved a lot. We made some great additions with Galchenyuk, Vinnie and Grabner. It was nice to get those three and I can't wait to get the season started."

Arizona drafted Dvorak 58th overall in 2014.
"We've all been through trying to find good centerman and it's a difficult thing to do," Chayka said. "So, if you get one, you want to keep him long-term ... He plays a mature game. Coming in as a young player, we've put a lot of responsibility on him. He's played some real tough minutes for a young centerman. It's a tough position to play, but he's come in and done a good job. No complaints. We've used him all over the lineup. I think his versatility is an asset. And he's just a really smart player that can play in all situations, and his drive and determination to get better is a big part of what we're doing here."