Per Elliotte Friedman, the Arizona Coyotes have re-sign two restricted free agents. Both Ilya Lyubushkin and Kyle Capobianco have been re-signed.
ARIZ signs two D: Kyle Capobianco (2 years, $775K) & Ilya Lyubushkin (1 year, $1M).
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 5, 2020
Kyle Capobianco and Ilya Lyubushkin Re-sign With Arizona Coyotes
Two restricted free agents have been signed by the new general manager of the Arizona Coyotes, Bill Armstrong. Kyle Capobianco has only played in 12 NHL games with just one goal and no assists. The majority of the time he was playing with the Tucson Roadrunners, the Coyotes’ AHL affiliate. In Tucson Capobianco managed nine goals and 53 assists in 93 AHL games. He has had some injury issues involving his lower body, so hopefully he will be fully recovered to play next season. Capobianco signed two-year deal with his 2020-21 salary being $700,000 and his 2021-22 salary set at $850,000.
He will be useful to fill in for injuries or may even get a larger role on the blueline if the Coyotes deal Oliver Ekman-Larsson as has been rumoured.
Ilya Lyubushkin has been an anchor on defence for the Coyotes. He is a stay-at-home defender and knows how to hit with authority. It’s certain that’s why Armstrong decided to re-sign the tough Russian. At 6′-2″ 201 pounds Lyubushkin stands his ground and knows how to move the puck reasonably well. The fact that he is a right-hand shot only adds to his value. He was rewarded with a $1M contract which was an increase from his previous contract worth $874,125. He will be a valued blueline contributor next season.
What This Means Going Forward
The Coyotes have limited resources even with a billionaire owner, so saving cap space is on their things to do list. Capobianco has great potential if he can stay healthy. For such a young player he has had his issues with injuries. If he can get past that, he will be a good D-man in the NHL.
For Lyubushkin, he is known to use his body on opponents with intensity. He has only played in 92 NHL games, yet he has an astonishing 301 hits, or 3.27 hits per game. He will be an integral part of the Coyotes defence going forward.
Main Photo:
