As I drink my after-dinner coffee, I am sitting here wondering if the Coyotes should pay the demands of Tobias Rieder and get him signed. Obviously this isn't the most pressing issue in the world, and many of you may not know much about Rieder as it's been my experience that players from Arizona don't exactly get their due around the rest of the league, but he's a good player and a key part of the team.
Now I obviously want to talk Coyotes, but I did just buy a new bed this weekend (for like six-weeks salary) so I am really going to have to pump these out like mad, now that I'm broke! The ironic thing about buying a bed (which I am assuming comes with golden sheets and possibly Scarlet Johansen, considering the price) is that I may soon have to drag it onto the street and live there.
Personally, I'd sleep on the floor rather than spend money on a bed, but my wife insists that the springs of our current bed are not supposed to stab into your spine violently in the night. So a new bed we get.
And really, I get the credit for buying it, I get a more comfortable place to sleep, and Master Card pays for it anyways, so everybody wins!!!
Now back to Rieder.
Reider is only 23 and he plays a good all-round game. He's really fast, he's pesky, he back-checks, he can score, kill penalties......he's a likable player. And he has no contract.
I've heard rumours that he's asking for as much as $4 million, but I've also heard that the Coyotes are offering $2 and he's asking for less than $3. To be honest with you, if I could get a six year term, I might go to $4 - I think he will easily be worth that for the next few years. I mean gosh-darn, they pay Connor Murphy almost $4 and I can tell you it's not even close on who's more valuable to this team.
Fact is, Rieder scored a fairly decent 24 points last year at 5v5, had almost 40 overall. He provides a lot of shot generation, is a strong defensive presence and had a very low (97) PDO, suggesting better results were due to him.
I think this player is fairly hard to acquire when he's only 23. He also looked, for whatever it's worth, pretty good in the parts of the recent Team Europe games I saw.
The Coyotes have a lot of offensive potential stars, but I don't know how many of them are actually good "all-round" players. If I was them, I'd be hesitant to give up on Rider. I certainly wouldn't risk losing him over less than a millo in change. Hell, you can probably find that much in Shane Doans couch cushions.
Of all their young players, the only one they absolutely know 100% can play in the NHL and play a well-rounded competent defensive game is Tobias Rieder.
He's extremely fast, and he is a very good complimentary piece to Domi, Strome, Dvorak and Keller. I say get it done.
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