The Dust Has Settled

What a day for the Coyotes! I did not expect this much movement from the team and I’m sure it is was a day of mixed feelings for Coyotes fans. It's hard for me to see Carcillo and Morris go, Jokinen never really settled as a true Coyote which made it little more upsetting seeing the man traded for Keith Ballard leave so quickly (As I wear my Jokinen t-shirt, how ironic). Here's what insight I've got to offer on today's events:

Derek Morris for Nigel Dawes, Petr Prucha, and Dmitri Kalinin:

We all knew what Morris brings to the table and also that he was going to be traded today. Being from the New York area, I have seen a lot of these Ranger players. The quantity brought in for a player destined to leave is the real success in this transaction. Kalinin is just a thrown in defenseman to help sew up the hold lost by Morris for the remainder of this season. Unlike Ken Klee, I think this veteran defenseman will not have a chance to earn a contract for next year.

Petr Prucha is someone to watch for the future. Prucha had an excellent rookie contest and fell out of favor with the Rangers coaching staff. Prucha is a highly skilled player that just needs some confidence built back into him through playing time that wasn't offered with the Rangers. Prucha is not a big man, but he does not shy away from going to the net and throwing the body around. With all the skill Prucha possesses, he completes it with a good deal of speed from the wing. Prucha in a sense reminds me a little of Lisin, both have great skill and just need playing time to polish up that skill. The real key to Prucha is that he knows the Coyotes want him and that he will receive the playing time. This should go a long way in building back his confidence to the point where he returns to his rookie year form, I hope. I think that putting Prucha on the opposite wing with Shane Doan will give him a chance to play up with his skill level. Doan will create some better scoring chances for Prucha, while opening up the ice. I am tired of seeing Lindstrom play big minutes with the captain, he doesn’t have the skill or the smarts to compliment Doan.

Nigel Dawes is a real talent for the Coyotes. Dawes had some decent production in limited minutes with the Rangers the last two seasons. He has a knack for scoring in the shoot out as well. Dawes also has some good speed and on top of that he can be a 30-30 guy. Dawes has the skills to be a successful playmaking winger. His best ability is creating some space for himself and dishing to his teammates. He has a good eye for getting into scoring positions, and will thrive with more minutes. Dawes has been brought along slowly but in a good winning environment. Dawes will bring a little playoff experience to the fellow youngsters, and understand what it takes to get to that point. Dawes could work well with the Hanzal and Boedker line. He could bring a different aspect to the line combing playmaking skill with the speed and size of the line.

Bottom Line: Out of Prucha and Dawes, I see one of them taking the opportunity to the fullest. One of the players will truly thrive in the system and be a long time Coyote. Prucha could be the sniper needed for this group, and Dawes could be the all around playmaking forward. We'll just have to wait and see what the future holds.