Rumors Flying

With rumors about the Coyotes and Senators being trade partners, it got me thinking about potential players. I think the obvious player is on the Coyotes side, and that is Petr Prucha. Prucha has not played poorly this year, but has drawn the short straw of all the forwards. He may not be the 20 plus goal scorer he was his rookie year, but he has shown that he is a consistent NHL player. He can kill penalties, play physical, hustle, and chip in offensively. The Czech line needed an offensive punch, and Whitney has been that punch. Prucha doesn’t mix with the rest of the line combos, and Turris deserves a shot to play every night. The Senators are looking for some scoring themselves. Although the Coyotes could always use scoring, I think one more “every game” defenseman would be more useful until an owner is decided. The Senators have a potential UFA defenseman in Chris Campoli that could be a match for the Coyotes. The Senators could use the grit and consistency that Prucha brings to any line combo. The Coyotes would have a consistent defenseman with a little offensive upside to contribute to the power play. As all rumors have a trend to fizzle, I am sure this one will as well. But the fact that Prucha is not an AHL player, and has been a good trooper makes me believe something will happen soon.

Starting to Come Together

Nice road win for the Coyotes last night. This was one of the best showings the team has had all year with the help of LaBarbera. Two strong games in a row where this team started to show signs of the team last year. A nice come from behind win, shutting down the Blackhawks once the lead was taken. Tippett made a smart move swapping Whitney with Prucha on the Turris and Hanzal lines. Whitney has struggled this year but still has plenty of skill left in the tank. Upshall has been playing like a warrior, and Turris has shown great progress. This move could turn that line into a dangerous one, while bring back the Czech line. I thought the game against the Red Wings on Monday was the closest complete game of the year that mirrored Coyotes hockey from the prior season. This game got off to a tough start, but the team never gave up and kept it close. The lines are starting to click a bit now and Wolski is starting to play with confidence. Belanger continues to show how valuable he can be in every zone. The team will need to ride off of this and continue the momentum into the back to back home tilts.

I thought the interview with the potential owner was very interesting. Mr. Hulsizer seems to be a genuine human being with a passion for hockey. Key things I noticed were the way he used “we” for anything mentioned about hockey ops. Also it seemed like he knew an announcement was coming soon, and stressed that several times. Hopefully this guy can bring in some stability to this promising franchise.

Dallas Stars Game 11/5

Here are some quick thoughts on tonight's game so far(and in general):

- Slow down the game, don’t make so many quick rush passes as the first pass out of the zone.
-This is a team that thrives on a lead and playing good defense. Don’t give the other team a better opportunity to score by rushing and causing turnovers.

- Penalties need to stop. Untimely penalties at the very least.

- Stick with the same lines so that some chemistry can be built. The team needs to get used to each other and settle into their roles. When the team is down late, that would be the time to change lines to produce a quick goal.

- Even strength the wingers need to watch that they don’t get caught down low in the defensive zone. This occurs because of bad communication in the corner by the dmen.

- Better starts to the period, because the team finishes periods better especially after giving up a goal.

I thought it was a good move taking Bryzgalov out early. This just wasn't his night and save him for the game tomorrow night.

Camp Suggestions

The signing of Lee Stempniak is a huge step in solidifying the forward core for the upcoming season. The Coyotes have a great luxury with the youth coming into camp in all positions. There is no doubt the young players will have a battle on their hands for the final roster spots. One way of making training camp more interesting would be to invite a few veteran free agents for tryouts. This year more than any other free agency year, the amount of veteran free agents left is large. The veterans would benefit from having other teams get a solid look at them in camp to earn an NHL contract. It will give the Coyotes a chance to push the young guns to really earn there stripes. In a worst case scenario the camp invites will play well enough to earn a depth spot on the NHL roster. This could buy the youngsters some time to develop more in the AHL. Three specific invites that make sense would be Bill Guerin, Shane Hnidy, and Garnet Exelby. Guerin may have what it takes to make a club, especially one that could use a veteran presence. He would be an excellent player to put with Kyle Turris, and let Doan play on the top line as planned. Guerin may be signed before camps open, but if he is not then its certainly worth a try. A veteran like Guerin wants to play with a winner, and with the Coyotes he would have that chance. The defense could be the best shot for a veteran try out to make the big club. The defense was very solid last year, but unfortunately lost a big part in Michalek. Jovanovski, Aucoin, and Morris all are a year older as well. Lepisto played well in the opportunities given to him. It is difficult to just hand over the 5th defenseman spot to him especially when a rookie will be taking the 6th spot as it stands now. Oliver Ekman-Larsson is NHL ready, but could use a veteran insurance in a 7th defenseman. The 7th defenseman would even have a shot to take Lepisto’s spot. At this point the power play will be handed over to the top 4 in Yandle, Aucoin, Morris, and Jovanovski. This means that the veteran defenseman tryout would need to provide steady, limited defensive minded minutes. Hnidy and Exelby both can provide the physical play needed in their own end. These would be low risk, high reward moves that championship contenders make. It would be a good way to let the league know that up and down the organization, the Coyotes are here to stay.