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Trend continues: Coyotes sign German League power forward Plachta

Canada v Germany - 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship

Canada v Germany - 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship

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On Thursday, Coyotes GM Don Maloney announced the signing of German winger Matthias Plachta to a one-year entry-level contract.

“Matthias is a big, skilled winger who had a very good season in the German League,” Maloney said in a statement. “We look forward to him continuing his development in our organization.”

Plachta, 24, has spent the last three seasons with Adler Mannheim, displaying a mix of offensive prowess (35 points in 47 games) and grit (73 PIM). At 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, he’ll bring some added size to Arizona as well.

While it’s too early to call it movement, there has been a recent trend of NHL clubs looking to the German League for these types of power forwards. Last year, Calgary signed 6-foot-3, 225-pound David Wolf from Hamburg -- he appeared in three regular-season and one playoff game -- and, earlier this month, Colorado inked Norwegian power forward Andreas Martinsen, who tips the scales at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds.

Plachta most recently represented Germany at the 2015 World Championships, where he scored a pair of goals.