Drake Caggiula signed a one-year contract with the Arizona Coyotes on Monday. Financial terms were not disclosed.
“I’m looking forward to a new opportunity in joining an organization with a lot of talented players and some young players to grow with,” the 26-year-old forward said Tuesday. “… They play a hard and aggressive game. They play a 200-foot game. It’s something that I take pride in, playing in all three areas of the arena.
“There’s obviously a ton of talented players, guys like [Phil] Kessel, and it goes all the way down to younger players like [Clayton] Keller and [Nick] Schmaltz and [Lawson] Crouse and [Christian] Dvorak, all these players.”
Caggiula scored 15 points (nine goals, six assists) in 40 games for the Chicago Blackhawks last season and three points (one goal, two assists) in eight Stanley Cup Playoff games.
“We are very pleased to add Drake to our roster,” Arizona general manager Bill Armstrong said. “He is a hardworking, versatile forward and a strong skater. He will add depth to our forward group.”
Signed by the Edmonton Oilers as an undrafted free agent May 7, 2016, Caggiula has scored 76 points (41 goals, 35 assists) in 222 regular-season games for the Blackhawks and Oilers, and six points (four goals, two assists) in 21 NHL playoff games.
Caggiula and Schmaltz were teammates at the University of North Dakota for two seasons from 2014-16.
“We actually lived together, his second year when he was allowed to move out of the dorms,” Caggiula said. “I’ve got a good relationship with him and his brother (Jordan Schmaltz), and I’m looking forward to playing with him again and seeing his face and getting reunited a little bit.”
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