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Last chance? Patrick O’Sullivan signs one-year, two-way contract with Phoenix

Minnesota Wild v New Jersey Devils

NEWARK, NJ - JANUARY 04: Patrick O’Sullivan #19 of the Minnesota Wild skates against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on January 4, 2011 in Newark, New Jersey. The Wild defeated the Devils 2-1. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

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Back in 2007-2008, Patrick O’Sullivan scored 22 goals and had 31 assists for the L.A. Kings and at 22 years-old appeared to be headed to a great career. Since then, things haven’t gone well. Over three seasons with three different teams, O’Sullivan has just 29 goals and 56 assists total.

Fast forward to this summer, O’Sullivan is signing a one-year, two-way deal with the Phoenix Coyotes to hopefully carve his way back into a full-time NHL career.

Since that big year in 2008, O’Sullivan has played for three teams while being part of four of them. He’s suited up for Edmonton, Carolina, and Minnesota since then and was even once a part of the Coyotes organization. O’Sullivan never played for the Coyotes but he did get his contract bought out by the team, and it’s a deal they’re still paying off heading into this season. It must be nice to get to double-dip on a team owned by the NHL.

For O’Sullivan, with that kind of turnover in his career, this could be his last chance to get and keep a full-time NHL job. While his options to play in the AHL are always there, for a guy that showed so much promise when he was younger to fall on such hard times now is tough to see. His hard times remind us of Jonathan Cheechoo whose career fell off a cliff after being a 50-goal scorer for the San Jose Sharks.

If O’Sullivan can adhere to coach Dave Tippett’s system and find some of that offensive ability he’s capable of, he’s got a chance to get plenty of minutes in Phoenix. The Coyotes are hurting for depth up the middle and O’Sullivan is a natural playmaking center. With just really Martin Hanzal to rely on and Kyle Turris still an unknown (and an unsigned restricted free agent) the Coyotes need the help. It’s the right team and the right opportunity for O’Sullivan and now it’s up to him to see if he can make it work.