Antoine Vermette is a versatile two-way center that isn't afraid to get his hands dirty and isn't opposed to scoring a few goals. He plays on the power play, the penalty kill and often guards the opposing team's top players. In short, he's the kind of guy who will do anything and everything coaches ask of him, down to sharpening skates and polishing visors.
Ok, maybe that last part was a bit of hyperbole, but still, Vermette is one of those players that every organization is all-too-happy to have and keep - albeit, at the right price.
He's not a prodigious scorer and he doesn't make a lot of flashy plays, but he's strong, consistent and one of the best personality types a locker room and coaching staff could ever ask for.
"He's a good two-way player," said Arizona Coyotes coach Dave Tippett, according to Sarah McLellan of azcentral.com. "Players like that, that play penalty kill, take key faceoffs in your own zone, play against the other team's top players; they're just good two-way players."
So, when a player of his ilk - even one of his age; Vermette is 32 - is on the verge of becoming an unrestricted free agent, you can bet that just about every potential avenue for continuing his career is open to him.
The Coyotes would reportedly like to retain him. There are teams inquiring about his potential availability. Those very same teams would no doubt line up, hearts, doors and checkbooks open should he ever actually make it to unrestricted free agency.
Vermette claims that he doesn't let the talk or concern over his future affect him.
"I can see I'm in the last year of my deal, and everybody knows that," Vermette said. "I try to leave that off to the side, but it hasn't been a major thing for me. I think once you get going, you're really focusing on the next game, which is great. You get on the road, you play quite often and you put that aside. It hasn't been such a big deal."
Vermette is in the final year of his current deal, which pays him $3.75 million, per Capgeek. He's got six goals and 10 assists thus far this season, according to Hockey-Reference.
Contract talks between Vermette and the Coyotes have apparently been tabled for the moment, but you can bet once GM Don Maloney gets clarity on the team's budget - and future - from Arizona, they'll begin again in earnest.
And if something can't get done, look for the Coyotes to make sure they get serious value for such a high quality player rather than simply let him walk away.
