Why did the Arizona Coyotes sign enforcer John Scott?
Someone in the NHL has given John Scott a hockey playing job. The Arizona Coyotes decided to bring in the enforcer, who really has no tangible hockey playing skill. But he is ‘a good guy in the locker room’ and ‘defends his teammates’ when needed.
Didn’t you see how valuable he was in EPIX Road to the Stadium Series when he was cracking jokes and being cool and stuff with the San Jose Sharks last season?
It's a one-way, one-year contract worth $575,000 for the 32-year-old, a source told Puck Daddy.
As for his stat line, he has 10 points in 274 career games. He has five goals. He was suspended a total of six games last year with San Jose for altercations with Tim Jackman. Of course there was that disgusting hit to the head of Boston’s Loui Eriksson in 2013 that gave Eriksson a concussion and altered the trajectory of his career. This merited a seven-game suspension for Scott. There was also the laughable Phil Kessel stick swinging incident.
Scott isn’t the only guy with a ‘history’ Arizona signed this offseason. The Coyotes did ink Steve Downie of the 238 penalty minutes last season. But Downie more fits the mold of a modern-day enforcer who can also play. In 78 games last year he had 28 points, almost three times of what Scott has in his career.
Are the Coyotes looking to become the Charlestown Chiefs so they can sell more tickets in Glendale?
Hard to believe – not exactly the style of general manager Don Maloney, which is why this is confusing.
Maybe he signed Scott, arguably the most infamous NHL enforcer, to protect young assets Dylan Strome, Anthony Duclair and Max Domi? That's more plausible, since the Coyotes probably don't want their future pummeled by the rest of the league.
This is the second Pacific Division head scratching enforcer signing of Friday. Earlier the Anaheim Ducks, who already have Tim Jackman, signed former Flames tough guy Brian McGrattan – though McGrattan doesn’t have the same Department of Player Safety rap sheet as Scott. Also, McGrattan will likely go to Anaheim's AHL affiliate in San Diego.
Friday, July 10 is turning into ‘Revenge of the Enforcer’ day.
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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper
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