Schmaltz signs seven-year contract with Coyotes

Nick Schmaltz signed a seven-year contract with the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The 23-year-old forward has 25 points (seven goals, 18 assists) in 40 games this season. He has not played since sustaining a season-ending knee injury Dec. 30 and could have become a restricted free agent after this season.
"I'm very excited to sign a long-term contract with the Coyotes," Schmaltz said. "We have a great core of young, talented players in Arizona and I'm looking forward to coming back healthy next season and contributing for many years to come. We have a very bright future here and I'm thrilled to be a part of it."

Schmaltz was acquired by the Coyotes in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks for forwards Brendan Perlini and Dylan Strome on Nov. 25, 2018.
Selected by Chicago with the No. 20 pick in the 2014 NHL Draft, Schmaltz has 105 points (34 goals, 71 assists) in 179 regular-season games.
"Nick is a highly skilled, creative, young center with extremely high upside," Arizona general manager John Chayka said. "Getting Nick signed to a long-term extension is another positive step towards building a sustainable contender here in the Valley. Ownership continues to commit the resources necessary to solidify our core group of players for years to come."
The Coyotes (37-33-8) are three points behind the Colorado Avalanche for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference. They host the Minnesota Wild on Sunday (5 p.m. ET; FS-A Plus; FS-WI, FS-N+, ESPN+, NHL.TV).