Kyle Garcia 
Drafted by the LA Kings in 2017, goaltender Matthew Villalta has found a new home as he signed with the Arizona Coyotes.
The Arizona Coyotes have signed goaltender, Matt Villalta to a 1-year contract.
Welcome to the Pack, Matt! #PackLove
Full details: https://t.co/LV7VN9qsGV pic.twitter.com/tWN4aHwJi1
— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) July 1, 2023
Villalta, 24, started 21 games for the Ontario Reign last year, posting a record of 12-8-1 along with a 2.65 GAA and a .910 save percentage. It was his best season since he turned professional. Unfortunately, it was a season in which his development took a hit. When Cal Petersen got sent down to Ontario, Villalta was essentially a backup goalie who played once in a while after being the starting goalie the previous season.
The Reign played 55 games from December 2nd to April 14th, and the starts for Petersen and Villalta were one-sided. Petersen started 40 games, while Villalta started 15 games. With Petersen struggling in the NHL and no hopes of anyone trading for him, Rob Blake had only one option. That option was to send him to the AHL to try and get him to get his game on track and hope his $5,000,000 investment can give him some reason to give him a second chance.
The hope never materialized. With Erik Portillo acquired the week of the trade deadline, Vilalta’s future with the organization looked bleak. Now he is off to Arizona with a fresh start, and hopefully, he can see some NHL games for a team who will be well out of playoff contention.
Good luck in Arizona, Villalta!
Photo credit: Ontario Reign