Arizona Coyotes' offseason priority: Improving defense

To trim their goals-against from the 3.26 average that helped derail them last season, the Coyotes are counting on a rejuvenated No. 1 goalie Mike Smith in 2015-16, but their moves this offseason also indicate a push for a tighter unit in front of their crease.

"We think we're going to be able to play better in front of Mike Smith, give him a better chance and just not have to be superhuman every night," General Manager Don Maloney said.

The Coyotes are still browsing for a puck-moving option; they had an offer out Wednesday, Maloney said, but weren't able to snag their target. Maloney didn't identify the player. They could use one more right-handed shot.

RELATED:Coyotes improve without sabotaging future

If the Coyotes are able to acquire that type of player, he'd probably be a nice complement to Oliver Ekman-Larsson. That would enable Zbynek Michalek to shift to the third pairing. Michael Stone and Connor Murphy are other right-handed players.

On the left, Nicklas Grossmann is poised to slot below Ekman-Larsson, and Klas Dahlbeck could go on the third pairing. Brandon Gormley is another possibility. Both are restricted free agents who received qualifying offers from the Coyotes.

"We have six sort of slots set for the time being," Maloney said. "But we'll always look to upgrade."

Positive endorsement

Center Brad Richardson reached out to the Coyotes to gauge their interest on a potential marriage, and it was a former Coyote who helped inform him about the organization.

"Talking to Radim Vrbata in Vancouver, he said the people around the organization are great," Richardson said. "All the guys are awesome, and it was a great spot to live. So talking to Radim, I think he was one of the guys who was really high on Arizona. So that kind of made me think about them."

The Coyotes also liked Richardson's speed and energy, paving the way for a three-year commitment, but they also had numbers to back up why he could be a solid addition — a sign of John Chayka's involvement. Chayka was hired by the Coyotes last month as an assistant general manager overseeing analytics.

"He's very intelligent, very confident in what he sees and throws out some names of guys that on first blush you might pass over," Maloney said of Chayka. "Then when you take a deeper look you say, 'You know, this might be a real good fit for us.'

"Brad Richardson is a perfect example. From an analytics standpoint, he came up well versus some of the higher-priced players."

RELATED:Coyotes cap off flurry of moves b re-acquiring Vermette

The Glendale factor

The uncertainty surrounding the Coyotes' ongoing legal battle with the City of Glendale over their arena management agreement chased a few free agents away, Maloney said.

"You're honest with them," he explained. "You basically say, 'I have no idea what's going on, but it's a great place to play and we have great fans and a great stadium.' Things seem to have a way of working themselves out, so we try to downplay it as much as we can."

Ice chips

The Coyotes signed defenseman Alex Grant to a one-year, two-way contract Thursday.

Last season, Grant had six goals and 33 points in 58 games with the Binghamton Senators in the American Hockey League.

*The team has interviewed candidates for its vacant goalie coach position and is close to making a hire, Maloney said.

Sean Burke, who held the post while doubling as an assistant to the general manager, had his contract expire earlier this week.

•Winger Viktor Tikhonov signed a one-year deal with the Blackhawks Wednesday, officially departing the Coyotes, who drafted him 28th overall in 2008.

Tikhonov had spent the past four seasons in Russia, but the Coyotes held his rights until the recent signing-period opened.