🐺Arizona Coyotes to Throw Big Bucks 💰 at Rising Star Matias Maccelli? 🏒

🐺Arizona Coyotes to Throw Big Bucks 💰 at Rising Star Matias Maccelli? 🏒

TL;DR;
In the world of ice-cool contracts, Matias Maccelli might just be the next hot shot to sign on the dotted line with the Arizona Coyotes. With a rumored 3-year extension offering a juicy cap hit of $3.425MM, we’ve gotta ask – is the puck worth the bucks? 💰🤔

Now, let’s break the ice! ❄️

According to the terms under the spotlight, Maccelli could be looking at $3MM, $3.025MM, and $4.25MM respectively for each year through 2023 to 2026. And at the end of it all? He’s staring down the barrel of a $4.11MM qualifying offer that would keep him in the RFA zone.

So who’s this Maccelli dude, you ask? 😕 Well, he’s a guy who’s been showing those nets some serious love, that’s who. Drafted 98th overall by the Coyotes in 2019, he’s not just met expectations, he’s breezed past them, scoring 49 points in 64 games in the last season. That performance landed him fourth in Calder Memorial Trophy voting, no biggie. 🏆

Now, every superhero has an origin story, right? Maccelli’s journey began with the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the USHL, where he scored 72 points in 62 games. But the Coyotes felt our lad needed to hone his chops a little more, so he was shipped off to his native Finland to play in the Liiga.

Finland’s top-tier ice hockey league saw Maccelli up his game and prove that he was more than just a potential prospect – the guy was a goal scoring machine, tallying 69 points in 94 games. The Coyotes loved what they saw and locked him down with a three-year, $2.78MM entry-level contract. 💼

Maccelli spent most of his time in the 2021-22 season with the Coyotes’ AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners, where he continued to light up the scoreboard, leading the team with 57 points in 47 games. But let’s not forget his impressive stats with the Coyotes, where he knocked in 11 goals and assisted 38 more in just 64 games. 🏒

But here’s the kicker: Maccelli’s ascension to hockey stardom wasn’t without its bumps. A lower-body injury benched him for six weeks in December and January. But come on, what’s a good sports story without a little drama, right?

As the Coyotes continue their hunt for more hidden gems 💎 like Maccelli, we gotta ask: Is Maccelli’s star performance worth the rumored mega deal? And more importantly, will this blockbuster deal inspire other up-and-coming players to step up their game?

So, puck lovers, we leave you with this: Is Maccelli a one-season wonder, or will he continue to dominate the ice and justify the big bucks? 💰⛸️🤔 Let’s drop the gloves and discuss! 🥊