The market for Paul Bissonnette may be a bit more active than you might think. According to a report seen in the Washington Post, “five to six” teams are currently interested in the free agent. Biz has spent the last five seasons with the Coyotes and is apparently weighing his options before committing to a new team.
Here’s what Biz’s agent said about the situation:
“Right now he’s just looking for a good organization where he can contribute more than he’s been able to, to date, in the last couple years in Phoenix. He wants to be in a position where he can compete for a solid fourth-line position and be a great team guy. He wants to be in an organization where there’s a chance to win, as most guys do, and looking forward to showing how hard he’s worked to improve his skill level and skating over the last couple years.”
You may wonder why so many teams are clamoring (relatively speaking) over a fourth-line resident. The answer lies in the fact that Biz isn’t your stereotypical fighter and is aiming a bit higher. His advanced stats aren’t bad and judging by the fact he fought just three times in 2013-14, there’s some merit behind his claim he wants to be more than just an enforcer. He tallied eight points in 39 games last year, which is actually a pretty decent total considering he averaged under five minutes of time out on the ice in the few games he actually played.
Biz is coming off of a two-year, $1.475 million contract and should be an extremely affordable option for a team looking to add a bit of size and strength either on the third or fourth line.
