Coyotes to begin contract talks with Boedker in January

One of the Arizona Coyotes' new year's resolutions is to sign forward Mikkel Boedker to a contract extension.

General manager Don Maloney said contract talks with Boedker will begin in January, according to azcentral sports' Sarah McLellan. And, as one should be heading into another 365-day cycle, Maloney is hopeful of a positive outcome.

"I'm optimistic that we'll be able to do something that's good for Mikkel and good for us," Maloney said. "He's an important part of our team, and hopefully we can do something that makes sense for both of us."

Boedker, who turned 26 last week, is playing out a one-year bridge contract he signed over the summer, which pays him $3.75 million. While the two sides talked about a long-term extension months ago, the idea was eventually scrapped for a one-year pact after Boedker elected for arbitration.

Maloney said the Coyotes and Boedker's camp "have not had any meaningful dialogue at all, quite frankly," since that one-year deal was signed, but that doesn't mean Boedker's an afterthought. He's a big reason why the Coyotes are a point out of a playoff spot after 33 games, with three games in hand on the Vancouver Canucks, who own the third spot in the Pacific Division.

Boedker's second to rookie Max Domi on the team in scoring, with 11 goals and 12 assists in 32 games. He's on pace to hit the 20-goal mark for the first time in his career, and projected to finish with a personal-best 57 points. His three game-winning goals are also second on the team, and head coach Dave Tippett relies on him heavily, as evidenced by his 735 shifts this year - second on the team among forwards.

While six of Boedker's goals have come in two games, thanks to a couple of hat tricks, he's stepped up as a leader in practice, and in the dressing room. He's got an "A" on his jersey, and that isn't is lost on the Copenhagen-born winger.

"It means you're a leader," Boedker said.

"Once he kind of got up and going, he's been real good for us," Tippett said. "You watch him day-to-day in games and practices, he's just a really good player."

Boedker says he's going to let his agent do what he does, and he's going to keep doing his own job: Play hockey.

"It's going to sort itself out," Boedker said. "I don't know where the team stands and where I stand. There's been no conversations. I haven't heard anything. I've just been focused on trying to help the team and trying to make sure that I could help them as much as possible and obviously help myself become a better player."

What Boedker's been doing has been working, and that should mean he'll be in the desert as part of an up-and-coming Coyotes team for years to come.