Dvorak's is the second long-term extension for Arizona this offseason; the Coyotes signed defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, 27, to an eight-year extension July 1 that runs through 2026-27.
As for why he signed long term, Dvorak said, "I left that more to my agent and (general manager) John [Chayka]. That's what they thought was best for me so I was on board."
Chosen by the Coyotes in the second round (No. 58) of the 2014 NHL Draft, Dvorak had 37 points (15 goals, 22 assists) in 78 games last season, his second in the NHL. Dvorak has 70 points (30 goals, 40 assists) in 156 NHL games.
"We're happy to invest a person like Christian Dvorak," Chayka said. "Obviously, he's a very talented person and player. ... Our view is this is a player that we want a part of our group for the long term. We could wait it out, make him play another year. We just think he's getting better and better. The market is going to continue to rise and we feel like this is a deal that made sense for both sides at this time."
Dvorak said he wants to produce more but remain committed to defense as a two-way center. Chayka said the Coyotes think Dvorak's offense is just scratching the surface.
"Based off the body of work and his determination to continue to improve, we expect him to be a player that can continue to produce at a higher level," Chayka said. "There's always a risk when you're committing to players that haven't yet done that, but in this situation with this certain player and his fit with our group, we're comfortable that he's going to continue to get better."
NHL.com correspondent Craig Morgan contributed to this story.
