The Arizona Coyotes have signed goaltender Carter Hutton to a one-year, $750K contract according to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. With Darcy Kuemper, Adin Hill, and Antti Raanta both gone, the Coyotes needed a goaltender with some NHL experience.
As it stands now, Hutton looks like the starter in the desert for next season unless another addition is made. This is very likely, but still a testament to the trust that the team has in him if no other moves pan out. Hutton, 35, had some hard times in Buffalo over the past three years. However, it was just before then that Hutton delivered an all-time NHL season, leading the league with a .931 save percentage and 2.09 GAA for the St. Louis Blues in 2017-18. Hutton may not be at the top of his game any more, but very well might have more in him than he was able to show in Buffalo over the past few years. The Coyotes look no better than the Sabres right now, but the system may be different enough that the veteran can benefit from a change of scenery.
However, Hutton’s best chance at success in Phoenix will be if the ’Yotes add another netminder. Hutton’s top seasons of his NHL career have all been when he played under 40 games. With only untested Josef Korenar as another NHL option in net right now, that is not happening. The aging goalie needs someone to take at least half of the starts off his hands or the likelihood that he can stay fresh enough to excel seems slim.