Whitney Goes to Phoenix

The Coyotes continued to roll on Thursday, signing Ray Whitney to a 2-year deal worth $6 million, a $3 million salary cap hit. Whitney will be bringing a whole lot of experience and a Stanley Cup ring to the desert, where they are bringing in a number of good prospects and other young players to learn how to win together. Whitney should be a good mentor and player for this team, which gives a little added value to this signing.

Whitney and the Hurricanes did have a bit of an off-year, which really shows in Whitney's numbers from 2010.  Whitney played in 80 games, picking up 21 goals and 37 points, which was good for 80th among forwards, down from 33rd in 2009.  The whole team was fairly buggered up, but that shouldn't reflect on the kind of talent that Whitney will bring to the desert this year, which has to be exciting for Phoenix.

The cap number for Whitney is also very pleasing to the budget there in Phoenix, which has almost reached the cap floor with this deal, now sitting at $42.4 million for 18 players and I'm sure the Coyotes could find three to five more players in their system to round everything out and get them ready for opening night. That shouldn't be a problem at all. I almost expect it, really.

If I had to wager a guess, I would say that Whitney should have a decent year with the Coyotes, but it will measure more closely to this past season of 58 points, rather than his 70-85 point seasons he's usually known for. I would be surprised if the Coyotes really took it up to his level, but I suppose it's not really out of the question.