Arizona Coyotes' defense becoming clearer with Connor Murphy, Michael Stone signings

Despite the additions the Coyotes have made to their defense this offseason, a few holes – two to be exact – still lingered in the lineup.

But after re-signing restricted free agents Connor Murphy and Michael Stone on Thursday, the unit seems set – or at least very close to being NHL-ready.

“It’s just a really exciting time for the whole back end,” Stone said.

The Coyotes locked up Murphy with a six-year, $23.1 million contract while agreeing to a one-year deal worth $4 million for Stone.

With Alex Goligoski, Luke Schenn and Anthony DeAngelo among the acquisitions the team made earlier in the summer to retool its look, Arizona would appear to have 11 candidates to deploy at some point next season, but subtraction via trade is still a possibility to help fine-tune the roster.  

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“We think we’ve delivered in improving the group,” General Manager John Chayka said. “I think we’ve also delivered in giving (coach Dave Tippett) more options.”

Murphy is coming off a banner season in which he set career-highs in goals (six), assists (11) and points (17) while finishing second on the team in hits (175) and blocked shots (139). Perhaps more impressively, he graduated to the top pairing alongside Oliver Ekman-Larsson – a sign of his maturity and the growth he’s exhibited ever since the team drafted him 20th overall in 2011.

“I was happy with just individually being able to see development in myself,” the 23-year-old said. “(I) want to make sure I continue to do that to help out and play in whatever role that fits for me to help our team every game.”

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A six-year commitment is indicative of the evolution the Coyotes continue to expect from Murphy but also the value they see in him as a future leader.

Although negotiations spanned a large portion of the offseason, Murphy wasn’t concerned with the process and neither was Chayka, who said both sides budged a bit and were close on a deal from the outset.

Murphy’s deal includes a higher salary in the first four years and the sixth, according to a source.

“It’s a place where I want to play and want to be a part of,” he said.

That sentiment was shared with Stone, but his season-ending knee injury seemed to steer his camp and the Coyotes toward a short-term agreement – a length both were comfortable with amid the uncertainty of his return; a longer deal, however, was discussed.

“I would love to be here long-term,” Stone said. “That’s a goal of mine. I love it here, so hopefully eventually that’s something we can work out.”

Stone, who was drafted in the third round (69th overall) in 2008, is on the mend from surgery on his left knee to repair his ACL and MCL – an injury he suffered March 26 against the Flyers. His recovery time was estimated at a minimum of six months; the team’s season-opener on Oct. 15 is approximately six-and-a-half months after Stone’s April 1 surgery.

The 26-year-old has been able to run but has yet to get on the ice, although he expects to do so in the near future. Despite being encouraged by his progress, he isn’t sure when he’ll be able to resume playing.

“Whenever I’m ready to go, I’m going to be ready to go,” said Stone, who will spend the rest of his offseason in the Valley. “I’m working really hard to get back as soon as possible.”

Negotiations for Stone were also lengthy; earlier this month, Stone had the right to elect for salary arbitration and he did so with a hearing scheduled for next Thursday in Toronto.

Both sides were able to continue talking and successfully avoided bringing an arbitrator into the mix, but the experience was still not what Stone might have anticipated had he finished the season uninjured.

He’s poised to become an unrestricted free agent when this contract expires.

“Everything all together was not the way I hoped things would turn out because I was hurt,” he said. “If I would have been ended the season healthy last year, I think this process may have gone a little differently.”

Even amid a disappointing finish, the season was a fruitful one for Stone as he tallied six goals and a career-high 36 points while ranking second on the team in average ice time (22:27) and first in blocked shots (143) – production that likely helped him merit a raise from his previous three-year, $3.45 million deal.

And if he continues on that trajectory, it’s possible he, too, will land a contract that positions him as a fixture on the blue line for years to come.

The Coyotes and Stone are eligible to begin negotiating an extension in January.

“It just goes to show I had a good season last year,” Stone said. “Things are a little uncertain with my injury and how things are going to go in the future. I think a one-year deal is going to give me an opportunity to prove myself once again and that I’m going to come back healthy, and hopefully we can look at something longer down the road.”

Reach the reporter at sarah.mclellan@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8276. Follow her at twitter.com/azc_mclellan.