Matias Maccelli weighs in on his new three-year contract with the Arizona Coyotes and expectations for this upcoming season.
The Arizona Coyotes signed Matias Maccelli to a three-year contract worth $10.2 million on Monday.
The 22-year-old was excellent this past season as he had 11 goals, 38 assists and 49 points in 64 games. He was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team and feels that all his hard work last year has truly paid off.
“It's a great opportunity for me to get a three year deal right away and super excited to come back to the desert and have another three more years together,” Maccelli said.
Maccelli played a critical role for the Coyotes last year on the power play and as a top-six forward. Going into his second season, there will certainly be more expectations on the young forward to perform. However, Maccelli feels comfortable going into the 2023-24 campaign.
“There’s still a lot of stuff I can learn for sure," Maccelli said. "But overall, to get the games under my belt and get more comfortable and I don’t have to be nervous about interviews and having a lot of people there and all that stuff for me is good.”
It helps that Maccelli’s former linemate, Nick Bjugstad, is returning to Arizona. Maccelli and Bjugstad alongside Lawson Crouse generated some success when they played with each other which should be the case if the trio are paired this upcoming season.
“Having (Bjugstad) on my line last year was huge. He helped me a lot on the ice and even off the ice, so I think it was great,” Maccelli said.
The Coyotes were busy through the offseason adding players including Sean Durzi, Jason Zucker, Alexander Kerfoot and Troy Stecher. Maccelli is excited to get back onto the ice with his new teammates and is confident the Coyotes will improve as a team.
“For me, it’s just fun going to the rink every day," Maccelli said. "Next year, I think we’re going to be a lot better. We got a couple of big names coming in and I’m super excited and ready to go.”