After signing Olli Maatta to an extension back on Monday, Utah HC has taken another pending UFA off the market for this summer. The team announced that they’ve signed center Alexander Kerfoot to a one-year contract extension. While the financial terms weren’t disclosed by the team, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that the deal will pay Kerfoot $3MM. GM Bill Armstrong released the following statement about the signing:
We are very pleased for Alex to remain in Utah. Alex is an important leader for our group with his versatility on the ice and leadership off the ice, and we look forward to having his continued contribution as we fight down the stretch to make the playoffs.
The 30-year-old is in his second year with the organization going back to his time in Arizona. But those two seasons have had considerably different trajectories. Last year with the Coyotes, Kerfoot had the second-best offensive season of his career, tallying 13 goals and 32 assists in 82 games while logging a career-best 17:26 per night. It looked like he’d be well on his way toward a long-term deal on his next contract if he could even match that level of performance.
But instead of producing at a similar level in 2024-25, Kerfoot’s output has dipped to the lowest levels of his eight-year NHL career. Through 61 outings this season, he has just seven goals and nine assists while his playing time has dropped by more than two minutes a game. While he is winning more than 50% of his faceoffs for the first time since his sophomore season, it’s fair to say his stock around the league has taken a hit.
To that end, it shouldn’t come as much surprise that Kerfoot opted to take just a one-year deal now, giving himself a chance at rebuilding some value before potentially taking a run at the 2026 free agent market when another big jump in the salary cap is expected. He’s also taking a small cut in pay in the process to stick around; next season will be the first time since the 2018-19 campaign that he hasn’t carried a $3.5MM charge against the salary cap.
With the signing, Utah now has $73.5MM in commitments for next season to 18 players, per PuckPedia. Those numbers could go up soon enough if they’re able to get goaltender Karel Vejmelka locked down on an extension, an outcome he’s known to be seeking.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Mr. Swiss Army knife.
Yet another “fine” signing. Well-liked by teammates, can do a bunch of things on the ice. He’s worth more to them than a pick.