Coyotes won't splurge on free agents

Phoenix Coyotes general manager Don Maloney wishes he had a larger budget for next season.

What general manager doesn't?

The NHL and owner Jerry Moyes have been battling in bankruptcy court, but Maloney said representatives of the league and Moyes have agreed on a payroll that will allow the financially strapped team to be competitive.

"Would you like another 'X' amount of millions to maybe be available? Sure," Maloney told The Associated Press this week. "There's enough room in this budget to put a good team on the ice, and to continue to get better."

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Maloney wouldn't disclose his projected payroll for 2009-10, but it's expected to be in line with last year's payroll, estimated at about $43 million.

Even before the team filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May, the Coyotes were not expected to be big players when NHL free agency opened on Wednesday. The club has been sticking to its latest plan to develop draft choices, who typically cost less than proven NHL veterans.

"We're not going to be able to go out and grab that scorer who is an All-Star," Maloney said. "We have to develop that All-Star ourselves."

So far, the Coyotes have signed a trio of players. On Thursday, the team added veteran defenseman Adrian Aucoin of the Calgary Flames to a one-year contract. And on Wednesday, the Coyotes signed center Vern Fiddler and goaltender Jason LaBarbera to two-year deals.

Aucoin, 35, ranked second among Flames' defensemen in goals (10), assists (24), points (34), shots (126) and time on ice (22:17) last season. He is also a former team captain for the Chicago Blackhawks in 2006-07, and was chosen for the All-Star Game in 2004 as a member of the New York Islanders.

Fiddler, 29, had 11 goals and six assists in 77 games last season for the Nashville Predators. LaBarbera, 29, had a 8-10-6 record and 2.78 goals against average with two shutouts in 28 games last season with the Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks.

Maloney said he's been able to go about his business this summer despite the bankruptcy proceedings and a looming sale. NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said Maloney "has not been handcuffed by this process.

"Don has come forward with player budgets, operating budgets that were consistent with his long-term vision and plan," Daly said during a visit to the Coyotes' training facility this week. "He's had no pushback, either from the Moyes group or the National Hockey League, so I would say that he's been given the latitude to execute on the plan he has for the growth of this franchise."

Maloney dismissed the notion that the Coyotes' personnel decisions have been dictated by finances.

"There has not been a mandate to pare down and nickel-and-dime anything," Maloney said. "We have to be prudent in what we spend, but we're no different than a lot of teams. There are a lot of teams in this league that are doing exactly what we are."

After signing a series of free-agent busts, the Coyotes decided to rebuild through the draft, a sometimes painful process. This year they focused on defense and toughness.

"We had drafted a lot of skill over the last few years," Maloney said. "We just thought, let's get some fight in here, draft some players who will go through the wall for you."

Phoenix also acquired three defensemen in trades, including 29-year-old veteran Jim Vandermeer from the Calgary Flames.

The Coyotes finished tied for 13th in the 15-team Western Conference last season. After a chaotic offseason, expectations figure to be just as low next season.

"We're a lot better than people give us credit for," Maloney said. "There's so much negativity around, everybody's going to pick us for dead last. It's going to be a key time for us to develop these players."