Report: Brandon Gormley accepts one-year qualifying offer from Arizona Coyotes

One of the final pieces from last year's Arizona Coyotes team is under contract.

Coyotes GM Don Maloney said D Brandon Gormley has accepted the team's one-year, two-way qualifying offer.

— Craig Morgan (@craigsmorgan) July 30, 2015

The 13th overall selection in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Brandon Gormley was not experienced enough to be eligible for arbitration, so he had little leverage in contract negotiations.

Gormley's last season with the Coyotes was an up-and-down year; after receiving a call-up in early-November, Gormley was sidelined with a shoulder injury for most of December. He finished the year with two goals, two assists, 10 PIMs, and a 5v5 SAT For Percentage of 48.7 in 27 games.

Thus far Gormley has only played 32 NHL games, and Coyotes' GM Don Maloney was frank about Gormley's future with the team:

Coyotes GM Don Maloney on 23-year-old defenseman Brandon Gormley: "He's at a stage where it’s ether fish or cut bait, to be honest."

— Craig Morgan (@craigsmorgan) July 30, 2015

Should Gormley not make a major impact in the NHL this season, it seems likely that his time with the Coyotes will come to an end. He has a lot of work to do this year to earn a permanent spot on the roster against the likes of Klas Dahlbeck and Connor Murphy.