Uneasy Off-Season Ahead

With all the turmoil off the ice, it will be refreshing to start discussing the on ice activities for the Coyotes. It was a tough start to the summer when the Coyotes had to give up there back stop to the Flyers. Although Bryzgalov did a lot for the organization, the early departure was for the best. This time last year Don Maloney had false hopes of convincing Michalek to stay with the organization. Unfortunately July 1st came and the cold truth hit, the team still has not found a replacement. At least this time Maloney and company have plenty of time before the draft to organize a game plan. This summer will provide some unique flexibility to the roster financially. Bryzgalov would have commanded a top tier contract. Jovanovski will most certainly be headed to another organization in July, leaving the Coyotes with some much needed cap relief.

Before any unrestricted free agents can eat up the extra money available, Maloney must lock up Yandle and Korpikoski first. Once that is complete, it will be very interesting to see what goalie is landed. It appears that Maloney is not limiting his options to just a free agent. In my opinion, the best and first option for Maloney is the trade front. Many teams have backup goalies that are on the cusp of earning a starting opportunity. Look no further than the two teams in the finals. Rask and Schneider are both on the young side, and have proven there worth in an NHL crease. The King’s Bernier has been mentioned, but a trade in division would command a King’s ransom(no pun intended). A trade of any kind will require giving up an asset, but it could be the best set up for the current team and future. A player like Schneider would be a very solid option. The Canucks will be entering the off season with some big decisions to make with free agents. The Coyotes could help provide the Canucks depth in case they lose there free agents.

The Canucks have a packed blue line, and may be forced to let Bieksa or Ehrhoff walk. It is no secret that Ballard has not been a favorite of Vigneault. Ballard has a hefty salary and could be expendable in a trade. Ballard was a fan favorite in Phoenix, and still provides a needed value. Despite limited action this season, Ballard led the Canucks in blocked shots. He has always been a great physical player and great in the locker room. After losing Michalek, the Coyotes have never been able to replace the amount of blocked shots that he provided. This could be a great change of scenery for Ballard, and give the Canucks a valuable cap relief. Adding Ballard into a potential Schneider deal could lessen the return in a trade from the Coyotes.

The Coyotes, under Tippett will always be a defense first system. So with a tight budget, why not focus the money on the back end first. A lot of the young forwards need the opportunity and ice time to grow. In the salary cap era, several veteran forwards are always available for less money in August. The Coyotes could do some damage with the left over forwards just like last year with Belanger.

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.

Soon To Come

New updates on the off-season moves and potential moves to come before training camp.

Three Ways To Improve

The Phoenix Coyotes have a lot of work to do to become a Stanley Cup contender. No one in the hockey world is knocking the young talent in the organization, but this team will need more than youth to get to the playoffs next season. With a new owner set to be in place for next season, it is time for management to surround the youth with a few talented veterans. The youth has developed nicely in the last two seasons, and the Coyotes have added some players ready to have career seasons. All this stacked with a talented, and experienced goaltender will always make the Coyotes an exciting team. But times are tough in the desert for hockey and exciting may not cut it anymore. This organization and sport needs a winner in the Arizona area. Let’s be honest, the fans need to see a winner! Well with some limited moves, and money to spend this team will be looking very strong come September camp.
It appears that the Coyotes have built the depth down the middle in Lombardi, Turris and Hanzal. I personally would like to see Turris move to the wing like Mueller did, but I can live with them sticking with the same lineup. The one key thing missing out of the top 6 forwards is a pure goal scorer. The Coyotes are not prone to spending the big bucks on a top free agent, but I think Mr. Gaborik is a unique case. Gaborik has always been a tremendous talent, but has struggled with staying healthy at times. It seems to be almost certain that Gaborik will be leaving Minnesota this summer, and what better place to go than warm Phoenix. He is coming off a season that he missed the first half of the season and then some. It could be a chance for the Coyotes to give him a nice one or two year deal with incentives to regain his reliable star status. Now Gaborik will still not come cheap but the Coyotes have the room to spend some money, and drop 7 to 7.5 for Gaborik. Gaborik would compliment the young centers, and take the focus off some players who are waiting for a break out season, not to mention a pure finisher to pass the puck.
The next two moves will be on the defensive front. The first is something that has been brought up in the media recently. Signing back veteran leader Derek Morris will be a huge bolt to this defense in the off season. We all know what Morris brings out their on the ice, and more importantly what he brings to the Coyotes. The team could use him back with Jovo on the top pairing, and provide some much needed depth. Now Morris will command close to 5 million, which again the Coyotes should be able to spare. With a potential Morris signing, the top two pairings will be intact. Now it seems that Yandle has done enough this year to take up the full time spot on the third pairing, but his partner is needed. If the Coyotes can fall to a top two pick, drafting Hedman would be the smart choice. Hedman is ready to play in the NHL and provide some size and offensive skill. He would be a welcome addition to any team’s third pairing. Paired with Yandle, Hedman can have a chance to play an offensive role and a stay at home role because Yandle also likes to jump into the play. Obviously there is no guarantee that the Coyotes will get the 2nd pick in the draft, so I think it would be fine to re-sign Ken Klee to help further bring along Yandle on that third pairing. Having Klee will provide depth and veteran leadership all while having Hale to spare any defenseman when needed.
The Coyotes are closer than everyone thinks to a playoff birth and these 3 small moves would allow them the depth to make a strong run past the first round. Of course even after these 3 moves, the team still has some weaknesses and over flow of players. But the main basis for the off season should focus on these holes first then move on to the other depth moves.