Sarah McLellan

azcentral sports

As his cellphone flooded with text messages and missed calls barely a few hours into Thursday in the Czech Republic, coveted free agent Radim Vrbata was fast asleep.

His wife, Petra, who was awake feeding the couple's newborn son, Oliver, finally nudged Vrbata out of bed once his agent, Rich Evans, called Petra to deliver the news.

A deal was done.

"Crazy couple days," Vrbata said with a laugh.

Since the free agent signing period didn't open until 6 p.m. local time in the Czech Republic on Tuesday, Vrbata was up late that day fielding interest from a host of NHL teams looking to add a perennial 20-goal scorer for the right side of their lineup. After not rushing to come to a decision that day, he listened to more options Wednesday and went to bed at 10 p.m. expecting to make a call the next morning.

But the two-year offer worth $10 million posed by the Vancouver Canucks was too good to pass up, and that's why Vrbata accepted it ahead of schedule – and with sleep in his eyes.

"I'm excited to do my best," Vrbata said.

The Canucks weren't the only team in the mix to land the 33-year-old. Although Evans wouldn't confirm it, Montreal, Boston and San Jose were also rumored to be interested. At various times, Vrbata's camp was speaking to more than nine teams. One offer tabled was a four-year deal.

"The free agent process, it ended up wearing him down a bit," Evans said. "But once we agreed to terms with Vancouver, he got his energy right back."

The interview period before July 1 helped Vrbata get a handle on what might come his way once the free agency opened, but the entire process was still a challenging one.

"I don't think I'm a good free agent kind of guy," he said. "It was stressful. You wanted the right decision. If I was single and had no family, then you can enjoy it probably because you can go for the highest bid. When you have a family, there are more things to consider and you want to make the right decision and the right choice."

Vrbata's previous employer, the Coyotes, were also very much in the conversation to keep him. Actually, they had a better chance of re-signing Vrbata than most would have anticipated.

"I don't want to sound like there were 30 teams calling for me," Vrbata said. "There were a number of teams interested and lots of things to think about. Phoenix was obviously in the mix, too."

Vrbata didn't receive an offer from the Coyotes prior to July 1, he said. He reached out to General Manager Don Maloney to gauge whether or not the Coyotes were still interested.

"The thing is that prior to July 1, we never really got an offer on the table from Don probably based on he probably couldn't afford it I guess," Vrbata said. "When it started and I just reached out to him if he's got anything that he thinks he can do, just let me know and then we started texting basically the whole night.

"We both tried really hard to find something if something would work. Over 24 hours, I don't know if you'd say we were close but we had something I would consider even though it was less money and if it got out, some people would think I was crazy. But obviously everybody knows my feelings about Phoenix, and I was just trying to see if there was a way to get it done or not."

The Coyotes proposed a four-year deal but the money was way less than what Vrbata ended up accepting from the Canucks. He was looking for assurance that he would be able to spend all four of those years with the Coyotes, but the Coyotes were prepared to include only a limited no-movement clause and not a full one.

Vrbata's deal with the Canucks includes a limited no-trade clause.

"Don, I think, did his best to work it in there even though it would be modified a little bit," Vrbata said. "But in the end, it wasn't the case. At the end, he gave me his word on some things and that was good enough for me. That wasn't the deal breaker in the end."

The Canucks pitch was just too good to pass up. Aside from securing a raise off his previous three-year contract worth $9 million – Vrbata is set to make $4 million in each of his two seasons with the Canucks while also accruing a $1 million bonus in each year – he has the opportunity to play alongside Swedish stars Daniel and Henrik Sedin.

"The interest from talking to my agent and then once I signed I talked to the GM, Jim (Benning), it's going to be interesting and how excited they are to get me, it shows me that they really want me there and they feel I can be a good player for them playing with the Sedins, the power play," Vrbata said. "These are guys that can score goals. Overall, the fit's all right."

Vrbata has had the most success in his career while playing alongside other European style players. Set-up man Ray Whitney, who had a strong feel for that style of play, helped spur Vrbata to career-highs in goals (35) and points (62) in 2011-12. He'd been lacking that type of wingman with the Coyotes for the past two seasons.

"The chemistry and clicking with somebody that was something I was looking for in free agency," Vrbata said. "It was not necessarily looking for the money but for the right fit. … It wasn't all about money. It was about the fit and Vancouver, with the way the Sedins play, I think it's the way I play. They like those give-and-goes, and they like to beat the defense by passing and smarts, and that's something I think I'm good at."

Still, it wasn't an easy decision for Vrbata to part with the Coyotes. Obviously, the fact that he was considering staying for less money reaffirms that.

"For sure, it's tough to leave," he said. "It's no secret how I felt about my time in Phoenix and how much I appreciated everybody – from Don to Tip (coach Dave Tippett) to the players and trainers, PR people and everybody around the team. The people around the team made it hard for me to decide and maybe to consider this thing we were trying to do with Don. But in the end, this offer and the interest and desire from Vancouver to get me, that was something I couldn't pass on."

Vrbata was with the Coyotes for two stints. He scored 27 goals and 56 points in 2007-08 for the team but leaving via free agency after that season to sign a three-year deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning. But his production fizzled there, and Vrbata ended up finishing out the season playing in his native Czech Republic.

In the summer of 2009, he was traded back to the Coyotes. Vrbata isn't worried a similar scenario could play out this time after leaving the Coyotes in free agency.

"I wouldn't read too much into it because when I went to Tampa, I had only one really good season behind me," he said. "Now I think I'm six years, five years older. I have more success behind me."

It wasn't long after Vrbata agreed to a deal with the Canucks that former teammates started reaching out. Vrbata texted longtime linemate and fellow Czech Martin Hanzal to let him know about his move and also talked with defenseman Zbynek Michalek and winger Martin Erat, both of whom are also from the Czech Republic.

"I was texting with lots of people from Phoenix, (captain) Shane (Doan) and some other guys, trainers," Vrbata said. "It was actually, getting all those texts, it was kind of sad. It wasn't easy."

When he rejoined the Coyotes in 2009, Vrbata's career was rejuvenated. During his time with the Coyotes, Vrbata's reached the 20-goal mark in every season except two. One was the lockout-shortened season and in the other he scored 19.

"I'm bummed to see my friend and teammate go, for sure," Michalek said via text. "I think that he will be missed greatly both on and off the ice because he was really looked upon by lots of guys, especially the younger ones, and we could always rely on him on the ice providing offense for our team on a consistent basis. But this gives a chance and opening for some of those young guys to step in and try to fill that hole, which is a great opportunity for them.

"Our families were close, especially our sons liked to play together, and my son is very sad to see his friend go. But saying all this, I'm very happy for Vrby and his family. I think he very much deserves this contract and it's a good opportunity for him. I wish him best of luck!!!"

Vrbata isn't necessarily looking forward to the move and unloading boxes, but there's plenty to like about living in Vancouver.

"It'll be nice for (oldest son) Krystof now that he'll finally see snow in his life," Vrbata said. "I'm sure we'll miss the sunny days and everything, but it'll be different for sure."

And, in two years, Vrbata could be on the move again when he'll be eligible to test free agency after his current deal expires – a term he wanted.

"This is a two-year deal that gives me options after," he said. "If everything is great there, I can re-sign in Vancouver or I can who knows? Who knows what's going to happen? A two-year deal, this is what I was looking for."

Perhaps that means a return to Arizona for Vrbata. It's happened before.

"You never know," he said. "You never know."