For basically their entire existence, the Arizona Coyotes have been a budget team. In recent years, GM Don Maloney and head coach Dave Tippett have done so much with so little, but has it been enough? The last two years have seen Arizona fail to make the playoffs, a far cry from the Western Conference finals appearance in 2012. The team has struggled this season so far, some of the team’s top players haven’t played up to expectations, and it appears a shakeup might be in the Coyotes’ best interest.
Much like the Nashville Predators, who up until this season struggled with offense before acquiring offensively-minded players, the lack of elite offensive players is hurting the Coyotes. Defencemen Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Keith Yandle are relied on heavily to provide offense, and while it’s certainly great having these kinds of players, it isn’t the best course of action to rely so heavily on the defense to score. In goal, Mike Smith has struggled to regain his form, while Devan Dubnyk has been a pleasant surprise after it looked like his NHL career might have been in jeopardy. It’s no secret that as the number one, the pressure is on Smith to win the team a lot of games, but if Dubnyk keeps it up, there is no harm throwing him in more often.
The team is very much a score by committee group with Mikkel Boedker, Shane Doan, Antoine Vermette, Martin Hanzal, Martin Erat and Sam Gagner leading the forward corps. If the Coyotes want to truly to compete in the West, the top six has to improve. Erat has struggled mightily since leaving the Predators, while Gagner has no doubt been hurt by being rushed to the NHL as a teenager for the Edmonton Oilers. Hanzal has an enviable frame of 6′ 6″ 226 LBS (according to NHL.com) but doesn’t have the offense some would have hoped for. As the captain, Doan has shown an undying loyalty to this franchise, has been there for the highs and lows, and has given no indication he wants to leave. Vermette has been valuable as a two-way centre, while Boedker has speed to burn as a powerful winger.
With Arizona on a tighter budget than most NHL teams, and not exactly the go-to for free agents, the Coyotes have relied heavily on the draft and taking flyers on players looking for a second chance. The 2015 NHL draft is an excellent chance for Arizona if they don’t get better, or decide to look at rebuilding. There are a lot of offensively gifted forwards available, even after Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel, who will probably be out of reach for the Coyotes. Perhaps a big centre like McDavid’s teammate Dylan Strome? Or a huge power winger in Pavel Zacha or Lawson Crouse? Maybe Mathew Barzal, who has been compared to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins? Perhaps they would look at current Coyotes prospect Max Domi’s London Knights teammate Mitch Marner?
The Coyotes have some good prospects in the pipeline with Max Domi, Brendan Perlini and Brandon Gormley at the head of the line, but more youth and scoring is needed if Arizona is going to take the next step. The team has some bright spots in Ekman-Larsson and Yandle, while Boedker is starting to round himself into a scorer after being rushed into the NHL, and struggled as a result. With new ownership and a new name, the Arizona Coyotes need a fresh start as a team, as the current edition isn’t getting the job done. Arizona still struggles mightily at the gate, but if the team wins, perhaps there is a chance that the Coyotes can get some much needed attention.
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