Saturday: The Coyotes have officially announced the signing of Moser. The financial terms were not revealed.
Friday: The Arizona Coyotes have worked quickly to get a recent overage draft choice under contract and ready to transition to the North American game. Swiss defenseman Janis Moser has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the ’Yotes, according to his most recent club, the NLA’s EHC Biel-Bienne. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Moser, 21, was selected in the second round last month in his final year of NHL Draft Eligibility. Having already aged out of junior eligibility and with his prior pro experience removing him from NCAA consideration, the next step in Moser’s development was either to remain in Switzerland or instead try his hand in the AHL. The two sides seemingly have chosen the latter, as not only did Biel-Bienne announce Moser’s signing, but also wished him luck “in the NHL” and announced that they will begin looking for his replacement. Moser appears headed for the Tuscon Roadrunners next season, at least to begin the year.
Though still a very young player, Moser was actually the captain for Biel-Bienne last season. A native of the city, Moser has played his entire hockey career in the Biel-Bienne system to this point, including previous stints as captain of their U-17 and U-20 junior teams. In 2020-21, already his third full season at the top pro level in Switzerland, Moser was given the honor of captaining his hometown team. Not only that, he also led the team in assists and plus/minus and led all club defensemen in scoring, which included former NHLers Petteri Lindbohm and Yannick Rathgeb. Moser is a mature, well-rounded player with the intangibles that are often underestimated. He could surprise people with his NHL upside, especially given his quick entry into the league.