Coyotes sign one-time Stanley Cup champion

The Arizona Coyotes have signed forward Zach Sanford to a one-year, two-way deal, according to a team release. CapFriendly has confirmed the contract will pay Sanford $775K at the NHL level for the 2023-24 season.

Not that long ago, Sanford used to be a solid forward in the bottom six of the St. Louis Blues organization, winning a Stanley Cup with the team during the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs. During that regular season, Sanford suited up in 58 games for the Blues and had an incredible 16 goals and 14 assists, averaging only about 12-and-a-half minutes a night.

Following a tremendous year with the Blues, the team rewarded Sanford with a two-year, $3M contract extension, taking him to the end of the 2020-21 NHL season. Unfortunately for him and the organization, Sanford fell back down to earth, only scoring 16 points the next season. Due to the drop in production, St. Louis shipped Sanford to the Ottawa Senators the following summer for a package that included forward Logan Brown.

His production did not improve in Canada’s capital, leading to Sanford spending time with both the Winnipeg Jets and Nashville Predators since that trade. Although not suiting up much for the Predators at the professional level last season, Sanford put up a respectable 12 goals and 16 assists in 45 games playing for the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL.

As Sanford now takes his services to the Coyotes, access to playing time is more readily available for him. Arizona presumably has its  top-six forward unit set for next season, but will likely cycle through numerous players to fill out the bottom of its forward core.