Mikkel Boedker, Coyotes avoid arbitration, agree on 1-year, $3.75 million deal

Mikkel Boedker was one of 23 NHL players to file for arbitration on Sunday. And like many instances of a planned arbitration hearing, the forward and the Arizona Coyotes won’t need to sit down in a Toronto conference room to have a third-party decide on his new contract.

On Tuesday, Boedker, who was a restricted free agent, and the Coyotes agreed to a one-year, $3.75 million deal, per the Arizona Republic’s Sarah McLellan.

"We are pleased to sign Mikkel," said Coyotes GM Don Maloney in a statement. "He is an important player for us and we look forward to having him back next season.”

Due to the 25-year old’s time in the league and his pending Group 3 free agent status, any arbitration decision would have ended up with a one-year term. While the two sides were negotiating, the uncertainty around the Coyotes at the moment was a big reason why Boedker and his agent pushed for a short deal.

Boedker was limited to only 45 games last season, scoring 14 goals and recording 28 points before a ruptured spleen ended his year. In 2013-14, he scored 19 times and posted 51 points for the Coyotes. That’s an average of 0.62 points per game, which, if he keeps it up next season, will lead to a nice payday if/when he hits the UFA market next summer.

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Sean Leahy is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Sean_Leahy

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