Coyotes terminate Galchenyuk's contract 12 days after signing

Alex Galchenyuk's third stint in the desert is over before it even started.

The Arizona Coyotes announced Thursday that they are placing the journeyman forward on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract.

The NHL is reviewing the matter, according to PHNX Sports' Craig Morgan.

The Coyotes discovered an "off-ice situation" regarding Galchenyuk that was previously unknown to the team, a source told ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.

Arizona signed Galchenyuk to a one-year, two-way deal as a free agent July 1. The contract carried a $775,000 cap hit in the NHL and $225,000 in the AHL. He'll once again be an unrestricted free agent if he clears waivers.

Galchenyuk spent the 2018-19 and 2021-22 seasons with the Coyotes. Arizona initially acquired him in the 2018 trade that sent Max Domi to the Montreal Canadiens. He joined the organization again as a free agent in 2021.

The 29-year-old failed to record a point in 11 contests with the Colorado Avalanche last season. He spent the rest of the campaign with the AHL's Colorado Eagles, registering 42 points in as many games.

Galchenyuk showed plenty of promise during his early years with the Canadiens after the club drafted him third overall in 2012. His best season came in 2015-16 as a 21-year-old when he accrued 30 goals and 26 assists. He hasn't reached 25 points in a campaign since he collected 41 with the Coyotes in 2018-19.

He's also had brief, unsuccessful stints with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Minnesota Wild, Ottawa Senators, and Toronto Maple Leafs over the last four years.