Team Preview - Phoenix Coyotes

Phoenix Coyotes

09/10 stats
50-25-7 (107 points)
Regular season: Western Conference: 4th Overall: 4th
Playoffs: 3-4 (Eliminated by the Red Wings in the 1st Round)

  No team started the 2009-10 season under more adversity than the Phoenix Coyotes.

  The team, management, and fans had to endure an entire off-season of wonder as to where their beloved Coyotes would actually be playing. In an ongoing dispute with various ownership groups, the city of Glendale, and the NHL, the new ownership and future stability of the franchise to this day is still in question. The fight encompasses the question as to whether or not Phoenix is a viable market for the National Hockey League, but what is not in question any longer is how viable the product on the ice is.

  The Coyotes changed their on-ice approach last year with a new coach and a more veteran look. These changes along with the determination of a city saw the Phoenix Coyotes push to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in eight years. The entire season was nothing short of success and positive gains for the intent to stay in Phoenix, despite the fact that their playoff run was rather short. It was hard fought, however, as the Coyotes found themselves against the wall once again facing the powerful Detroit Red Wings in the first round. Phoenix played Detroit tough, and took them all the way to game 7 on home ice in a tough contest which saw them out. They were able to turn adversity into success as one of the ‘feel good’ stories of the 2009-10 season.

  The Coyotes finished 4th overall in the NHL in points with 107, which is a far cry from their 2008-09 regular season finish at 25th overall with just 79 points. The overall points finish was a large step for the club, but they finished pretty low on the powerplay (28th) and goals for (24th). Their saving grace was their ability kill penalties, and play solid defensively. The Coyotes finished 6th on the penalty kill and plus/minus and were 3rd in goals against. They were also a more disciplined team finishing 7th in PIMs, and they consistently found wins at key moments, especially when it came to the shootout. In 20 attempts (most in the league) they went a league best 14-6, largely attributed to the goalie tandem shutting it down consistently with an 8th best .719 save percentage. The Coyotes not only made the playoffs after an eight year drought, but set franchise records in wins and points.

  The future looks bright for the franchise, and a re-tooled roster and revamped fan appreciation will set them off into the sunset in the desert. The Phoenix Coyotes will be among six NHL teams, along with the Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild and San Jose Sharks that will open the 2010-11 NHL regular season by playing games in Europe. It will be the fourth straight year the NHL will begin the regular-season with games contested overseas. The Coyotes will play their first two games against the Bruins in Prague, Czech Republic, home of  (Coyotes) Czechs Petr Prucha, Matrin Hanzal, and Radim Vrbata.

  The turnover in Phoenix begins with the orchestrator in general manager Don Maloney. The reigning GM of the Year (the first ever recipient of the Award) handled his team in an absolute professional fashion. His reign since 2007 has completely turned this Phoenix franchise around to the product we have on the ice currently. Maloney has made big decisions contractually over the past few years to shape his roster both productively and cap efficiently. 

“First of all, I’m very honored and humbled to receive this award,” Maloney said upon receiving the first ever GM of the Year Award. “Having said that, I feel that everyone in our organization deserves recognition for what we accomplished together while going through all of the struggles the franchise went through off the ice.”

“The challenge last summer wasn’t convincing players to come to Phoenix, it was finding the right players who fit into our financial situation,” Maloney said. “We were able to do a good job of that and we also did a nice job of keeping all of the franchise issues out of our consciousness.”

"Last year I was cautiously optimistic (when training camp started) and this year I am excited.”

  His contractual workload in terms of players was quite heavy, but Maloney responded with key signings at great prices as his under-budget NHL owned franchise will not be able to come close to the cap ceiling this year. Free-agent signings include a couple of big names this year. Ray Whitney and Garrett Stafford have signed for two years, while Eric Belanger, Matt Beaudoin, Nolan Yonkman, Matt Climie, and Bracken Kearns have signed for one year. Key contract renewals include Scottie Upshall, Andrew Ebbett, Sami Lepisto, Al Montoya, Ryan Hollweg, and Alexandre Picard for one year. Martin Hanzal, Wojtek Wolski, Lee Stempniak, and Paul Bissonnette have re-upped for two years, David Schlemko for three, and veteran Derek Morris for four. Josh Lunden, Chris Summers, Mathieu Brodeur, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Maxim Goncharov have been signed to entry-level contracts.

  Out of all of the right calls he made last year, the hiring of head coach Dave Tippett just one week before the start of the season was probably his most notable accomplishment.


  Dave Tippet arrived to a very young and very talented Coyotes team after six productive years as the head coach of the Dallas Stars. In his 574 games as head coach he bettered his win ratio last season to a 321-181-28-44 record. Tippett took action to change the youth movement approach to a more literal sense when the youth were ‘moved’ down to the minors, giving this Coyotes lineup a much needed veteran facelift. His defensive coaching style allowed him to reap the most from his squad from day one, and pushed his team to 2nd in the highly skilled Pacific Division. For his efforts, Tippett was nominated for the first time, and won, the Jack Adams Award for the best coach in the league.

“I think all the adversity, with nobody giving us much chance to do anything, made them a very coachable group,” Tippett said. “They were guys that … had a lot to prove, and we came in with some pretty simple things that we were going to ask them to do and how they were going to play. I thought the strengths of our team were our ability to defend and our goaltending, and we game-planned around that.” He went on, “In the end, we probably did a lot more than people thought, but in Phoenix we think it's just the start of putting the foundation in place that we want to build there.”

“I’m very excited,” said Tippett, the reigning Jack Adams Award winner, at training camp. “We had almost 40 of the 50-some guys scheduled to come to camp skating here (in Arizona) for a long time. That’s a great sign, and the enthusiasm of the players is very high right now.”

  Players making an exit create some questionable holes in the roster, but a large majority has been filled through free-agency and prospects on the rise. Players traded last season are Kevin Porter and Peter Mueller, while Petteri Nokelainen was bought out, and Jim Vandermeer was waived and picked up by Edmonton. The players walking (or walked from) through free agency include; Matthew Lombardi, Zbynek Michalek, Robert Lang, Daniel Winnik, Mathieu Schneider, Joel Perrault, Anders Eriksson, Shaun Heshka, and  Jeff Hoggan.

  Although the departure list yields some hard felt losses, the core remains intact, and young players are coming through the ranks to provide long term future stability.

  Iron man Shane Doan, affectionately nicknamed ‘Doaner’, picked up where he left off by leading this team in every aspect on and off the ice. The captain is a consummate leader and great player, and proved it by winning the King Clancy Award for his role played in 2009-10, and was a finalist for the Mark Messier Leadership Award. Doan, being the leader and player he is, took responsibility for the team’s shortcomings, but is confident in himself and the team around him for the future.

“This wasn’t what anyone was planning on doing today,” Doan said after being eliminated by the Red Wings. “You look back over the year and you’re disappointed with the way it finishes, but we enjoyed this year. We had fun as a group and I think that’s big for us. This is a base for where we start from,” Doan said. “This (making the playoffs) can’t be an anomaly; this has to be kind of the standard.”

  Last year Doan came second on his team in overall points to only deadline day acquisition Wojtek Wolski who scored 47 of his total 65 points in Colorado prior to arriving in Glendale. Doan scored 18 goals and 37 assists for 55 points in a full 82 games. The 1st round draft pick of the Winnipeg Jets in 1995 (now the Phoenix Coyotes) heads into his 15th year as a National Hockey League player, and Phoenix Coyote. Though his point totals dropped from 73 to 55, Doan played with the same tenacity and dedication we’ve been accustomed to seeing over his great career. Doan led all Coyotes forwards in average time on ice (19:09), and was in a three way tie for total powerplay points (16) and game winning goals (4). Despite injury in game three of the playoffs which took him out of the equation, Doan was just as effective when he did play, and played a key in the success of the Coyotes from top to bottom as his ability to score points, forecheck, and play both ends of the special teams make him quite a special player at the ripe old age of 33. As mentioned, acquired via trade at the deadline, Wojtek Wolski heads into his first full year with the Coyotes and 6th as an NHL’er. The 6’3 210lbs. Poland native had started to trail off last year for the Avalanche before what I consider to be one of the best deals made on deadline day last July. He made a seamless transition to the Coyotes roster and found his game once more, finishing up with a career year in the regular and post seasons. In 62 games with the Avalanche he posted 17 goals for 47 points, and in his 18 games with the Coyotes he scored 6 goals and 18 points. In total, his 80 regular season games yielded 23 goals and 42 assists for 65 points with an incredible +21 rating. Wolski, too, can play both ends of the ice with an impeccable ability to score points. His plus/minus rating was tied for 23rd in the entire league, and 5 game winning goals was good for a tie for 24th across the NHL last season. His playoffs tied his career best in points (7) but he raised his goal totals to 4 in his 7 games against the Red Wings. Wolski has top line ability and the left winger was a great addition for Don Maloney. The exit of Matthew Lombardi makes Martin Hanzal the clear cut number one center on this team. In his junior year with the Coyotes, Hanzal nearly matched his best in points totals with 11 goals and 33 assists. The towering 6’5 218lbs. Pisek, Czech native displayed his ability to play both ends of the ice and was on it quite a bit as he came second only to team captain Shane Doan in average time on ice (among forwards). Hanzal was just 17 shy of total faceoffs taken for the ‘Yotes and second best in win percentage at %50.6. While he won’t dazzle you with dekes and highlight reel goals, Hanzal is an important part of this Coyotes roster that makes key plays at key times and I expect he will be even better this coming season.  All three of these projected first liners still have two years remaining on their contracts as Wolski re-signed in June for two years at $3.8 million per-year, and Hanzal re-signed in early September for two years at $1.8 million, which is great news for Phoenix.

  Veteran left winger Ray Whitney was a huge off-season signing for GM Don Maloney. Whitney also signed for two years at $3 million per-year, and will provide a force in points scoring five on five, and especially on the powerplay.

“We are thrilled to sign Ray to a contract,” said Maloney. “He is a terrific offensive player who will help us on the power play. He is a great leader in the dressing room with a Stanley Cup Championship to his credit and will instantly upgrade our offensive attack.”

  Whitney, 38, heads into his 19th season in the NHL after six years with the Carolina Hurricanes, winning a Stanley Cup in 2005-06. ‘The Wizard’ put up 21 goals and 37 assists for 58 points last year with 19 powerplay points. The veteran brings experience and a proven winning ability to the team that could well put them over the top. In 1,072 games Whitney has racked up 324 goals for 869 points and in terms of age is heading into the twilight of his career, but in terms of production has seemingly never lost a step. While on the topic of important deals being made on the off-season, the re-signing of Lee Stempniak is a great one for Maloney. The deal seamed rather unlikely as Stempniak sat on the market for two months, but at the tail end of August he re-signed for two years at $1.9 million. The economic climate change across the board for salaries played into Maloney’s favor as the cash strapped, NHL-owned Coyotes were able to retain his services after acquiring him at the deadline last year from the Maple Leafs. In 62 games with the Leafs last year he only tallied 14 goals, 16 assists, and a plus/minus -10. After the transaction, Stempniak impressed heavily posting 14 goals, 4 assists, and a +10 rating in 18 games down the stretch for the Coyotes. The 27 year-old 5 year pro ended the year with a career high in points total (48) and plus/minus (+10).  He wasn’t nearly as effective in the 7 post season games he played, only notching 2 assists. He does provide a scoring threat on the right wing, one that GM Don Maloney believes will only increase as he’s coming into the prime of his career. The exit of Lombardi puts a question mark on the second line center position. Although there are some options, the youngster Kyle Turris could come in and play some big minutes for the Coyotes this year in what would be his sophomore season. Turris, 21, was drafted 3rd overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft by the Phoenix Coyotes, and played his first year up in the NHL in the 2008-09 season where he posted 8 goals and 20 points in 63 games. The decision to send him back to San Antonio of the AHL last year was the right one for his development and progress on the ice. He played 76 games in the AHL last year racking up 24 goals and 39 assists for 63 points, showing shades of his accomplishments at minor ranks. Turris is a sound playmaking center with great one-ice vision and speed. Turris can score goals in numbers as we saw in his two years with the Burnaby Express in the BCHL, notching 102 goals and 193 points in just 110 games. Turris is headed into the last year of his contract and is set to be a restricted free-agent. He is a focal point of this clubs’ future and Maloney will be working hard to get him locked up beyond this year.

“I learned a bunch of things,” Turris said. “We had a good group of guys down there and I was lucky to have Ray Edwards as my coach and he helped me a lot… I worked on everything from face-offs to being stronger on the power play and being better defensively. I think I brought all of that with me to camp this year. Now I’m just going to really try and capitalize on this opportunity I’ve been given.”

  Maloney also signed unrestricted free-agent Eric Belanger this off-season at a steal of a price. After negotiations went south between the 32 year-old and the Washington Capitals, Maloney swept in and locked him up for one year at $750,000.

“I think there’s a lot of depth here and from the first couple of days, it seems like a great bunch of guys,” Belanger said. “Everybody’s on the same level. There’s no superstars here and I think that makes a big difference. By knowing Dave Tippett from back when I was in LA and knowing a lot of guys that have played for him, they can’t say enough about him, so this felt like a great opportunity, a great spot for me and I’m happy to be here.”

  Belanger is a great penalty killer and with 9 seasons under his belt, will add to the veteran presence spread throughout this Coyotes roster. Belanger has a points scoring ability as well with his great vision and hockey sense, as he posted 15 goals and 41 points for the Caps last year. Belanger likely centers the third line with the likes of Scottie Upshall and Radim Vrbata on the wing to make a formidable third line. Upshall re-signed with the Coyotes to a one year deal in June worth $2.25 million after his first full season with the team. He had an exceptional year going for him through 49 games, posting 18 goals and 14 assists with an impressive 4 game-winners before sustaining a torn ACL in January against Calgary. The devastating knee injury halted the energetic right winger’s mega year, and he would not take to the ice again. Upshall’s injury no doubt put Maloney in a position to make the deals he did on deadline day, and seeing as his recovery is on target to the date, Upshall’s woes may pay dividends for himself and the team this year should he stay healthy. Radim Vrbata is another talented right winger headed into his last contracted year. The 29 year-old Czech made his return to Phoenix last year which has been the team that has seemed to bring the best out in him. He tallied an impressive 24 goals and 19 assists for 43 points with 14 powerplay points last year. Vrbata was 5th in average ice time amongst forwards last year and will surely bounce between the top three lines and find a home with the players that can get the puck on his stick consistently. Vrbata’s goals total was good for best on the team, and with the addition of players like Ray Whitney and Eric Belanger, there’s nothing to suggest that will change for the upcoming season.  Czech born Petr Prucha, 28, is another one of the many players going into a contract year. Petr has had a tough time consistently producing for the Coyotes and will need to push himself to the next level if he wants a contract when it’s all said and done. Prucha did double his goals total from last year from 6 to 13, but there remains hope within the organization and within himself that he can return to the 20 goal mark.

  Dave Tippet has a ton of options with this roster, and the most difficult choices may be on the fourth line. Vernon Fiddler will center the fourth (or top checking) line after a really impressive 2009-10 season. Fiddler scored 8 goals and 30 points last year with a +13 rating, and led the team in total faceoffs taken, and faceoff win percentage at %52.4. Fiddler heads into his last contracted year with the Coyotes and is one of the most important deals that Maloney faces this year. Fiddler, 30, uses his strength and tenacity even strength, and is a force on the penalty kill. Lauri Korpikoski, Paul Bissonnette, and Andrew Ebbet all have expiring contracts this year as well. Korpikoski, 24, heads into his third NHL season still trying to find his game. He was drafted in the first round (19th overall) by the New York Rangers in 2004, but despite flashes of promise, still only totals 25 points in 139 NHL games. Naturally, Korpikoski plays a fast, offensive minded game, but his 5 goals and 6 points last season weren’t enough to get him more time on the ice in general, much less the powerplay which would have helped the Coyotes greatly. Lauri’s ability to score exists, as he came 2nd on the team with 7 shootout goals last year, but his even strength play was lackluster at best.  It is a proving year for Korpikoski and he will have to dig down deep to find himself a job within, or outside of the Coyotes roster next year. Andrew Ebbett, 27, has been sent back down to the AHL but posted better numbers than Korpikoski last year split between Minnesota and Chicago. In 61 games Ebbett scored 9 goals and 15 points, and is a great option on the call-up if there’s an injury or a player such as Korpikoski comes up short. Paul Bissonnette is a character off of the ice to say the least, but he is a competitor at heart, and gave his all in the 41 games he played last year with the Coyotes. Paul is a large human being at 6’3 220lbs. and uses his frame effectively along the boards and will never shy away from mucking it up and trying to get his opponent off their game. Bissonnette led the team in penalty minutes with 117, and had 19 majors which was good for 11th in the league. He won’t be scoring loads of goals, but he is an important force for some of the skill players to have backing them up. Taylor Pyatt rounds out the forwards cast in terms of NHL experience, heading into his 10th season in the NHL, and 2nd as a Coyote. Pyatt played great for the Coyotes, doing everything he was expected to. His regular season yielded 12 goals and 11 assists in 74 games with an impressive +13 rating and 39 PIMs. His play handed him a contract renewal in June of two years worth $2 million, which is a steal of a price for what he brings to the table. Pyatt has the ability to slide into nearly every line with his demanding 6’4 230lbs. frame. He skates rather well for his size, and plays hard in efforts to open up ice for his linemates. Though he finished the year at 23 points, I think he has 40 points in him if coach Dave Tippet can find the chemistry in line combinations for him.

  Phoenix has a wealth of depth as it is, but it will be a proving year for many of the young guns ever hopeful to make step up to the NHL squad. Fighting alongside Andrew Ebbett to get called up will be three rising-stars in Mikkel Boedker, Viktor Tikhonov, and Brett MacLean. Maloney has his hands full with contract renewals this year, but this is probably where the heart of it is as all three of these players are in a contract year. Boedker, 20, was drafted in the 1st round (8th overall) by Phoenix in 2008 and is projected to be an offensive powerhouse in the NHL. He played 78 games up with the Coyotes in 2008-09 notching 11 goals and 28 points, but was then sent back to the AHL for last year where he went 11-27-38 in 64 games for San Antonio. His demotion to the AHL is purely for strengthening and development, and it looks like that is where he’ll spend the bulk of his time once again this year.  At 5’11 202lbs. Boedker has the speed and drive to be in the NHL, but could use more conditioning before becoming a full time member of the Coyotes. He could make that jump at some point in this season in a replacement role, but it will be in Maloney’s best interest to lock him up for the future as I think he will one day be a great player in the NHL. The same can be said for another 2008 1st round (28th overall) draft selection of the Coyotes, 22 year-old Viktor Tikhonov. Viktor stands at 6’2 187lbs. and despite having less foot speed than Boedker, could be slightly ahead of him on players to make a jump. His chance at some ice time may be more in the form of appeasement after he requested a return (loan) to the KHL last year after just 18 games with San Antonio where he struggled to score points. In 61 games with San Antonio he only tallied 2 goals and 6 assists before jumping to the KHL and recording 14 goals and 15 points in 25 games for Cherepovets. Losing Tikhonov would be a hard felt loss for the Coyotes’ future, but Tikhonov has not yet earned the NHL spot that he yearns for. Viktor and the Coyotes’ management will be hoping this is the year he will make great strides.

“They are very close to NHL ready,” head coach Dave Tippett said shortly after sending the trio back to the minors. “…Both of them had very good camps. We’re deep on the wings right now. There’s some veterans who are going to get an opportunity to see what they can do, but both those guys are certainly knocking right on the door.”

  The player that seems to be in the shadow of these two rising stars is probably the most deserving at a shot in the NHL, 21 year-old Brett MacLean. The 6’1 200lbs. Port Elgin, Ontario native heads into his third year with San Antonio after a great season with the club where he posted 30 goals for 65 points with an impressive 14 powerplay tallies. He has 51 goals for 105 points in his two years with the club after he posted 131 goals for 288 points in 245 games for Oshawa of the OHL. Simply put: MacLean is an offensive powerhouse that the Coyotes would love to retain and build around. All three of these kids are very young and very promising, and the hope among everyone is that they will stay on and be a part of this improving Phoenix club for years to come.

  Zbynek Michalek was no doubt a big loss for the Coyotes over the off-season, but even without him the defense is looking pretty strong for this defensively minded and coached hockey team.


  Ed Jovonasvski heads up this defense for his fifth year on the blueline for the Coyotes. Jovonavski, 34, is a 14 year veteran and a stud on the back end for Phoenix. He finished the year 5th on the team in points posting 10 goals and 24 assists with 55 PIMs and tied for 2nd on the team with 14 powerplay points. Jovonavski is a leader for this club, and plays big minutes (3rd most on the team) against opponent’s top players. He heads into his last contracted year with the team at a whopping $6.5 million cap hit, the last of the five year deal he signed in 2006. Jovonavski has always been a big part of this defense, and fans and management alike hope that he will continue to be beyond this year. His renewal will likely require a substantial pay cut, and we’ll see how well he welcomes this. His linemate for most of the year was 15 year veteran Adrian Aucoin. This duo was a shut down pairing all season long for the Coyotes as they are two of the smartest and most gifted defenseman in the league. Aucoin, 37, tallied 8 goals and 20 assists with 56 PIMs in his first year as a Coyote. Aucoin was great for the Coyotes in his first year with the team, exceeding the expectations of himself on a nightly basis. Maloney knew what he was getting when he signed the UFA last year to a one-year deal, and his play has led to a contract renewal in June for two years worth $4 million.

“We are very pleased to have re-signed Adrian to a two-year deal,” said Maloney. “He is an intelligent, puck-moving defenseman who brought tremendous leadership to our dressing room last season. We are looking forward to having him continue his career with the Coyotes.”

  Aucoin was 2nd on the team in average time on ice (22:33), and had a canny ability to score in the shootout, having his name called a total of nine times, he netted six shootout goals last year which was good for third on the team.

  Derek Morris returns to the Coyotes after being dealt back to the team from Boston at the trade deadline last season for a conditional pick. In the off-season, Maloney locked up the 32 year-old offensive defenseman for four years at $2.75 million per-year. Morris put up 4 goals and 25 assists in 76 games split between the two teams. Nearly half of his career has been spent with the Coyotes and he should have no time finding his step with the team, especially after having played 18 games under new head coach Dave Tippett last season. Kieth Yandle, 24, is a rising young star for the Phoenix Coyotes coming off of a breakout year on the blueline. Yandle has a bomb of a shot and is effect both in his own zone and also quarterbacking the powerplay. Last season, his third, he had a career high in points as he netted 12 goals and 29 assists for 41 points in 82 games and his plus/minus (+16) was team leading. He also tied with captain Shane Doan and now removed centerman Matthew Lombardi for the team lead in powerplay points with 16. He furthered his point mark in the post season with 2 goals and 7 points in 7 games. He also appeared for his country (USA) in the World Championships where he scored a goal and three assists in six games. Yandle is one of three defensemen headed into a contract year and his contract renewal is undoubtedly the most important of them all at such a young age with such promise ahead of him.

  The top two defensive pairings are solid, and in their own right proven. The veteran presence is strong and each of these players are strong defensively (with Morris being the least effective) and all four posses the ability to score points or make a great first pass from their zone.

  Kurt Sauer, 29, still suffers from a concussion in 2007 as a member of the Colorado Avalanche. The blow to Sauer’s head is looking more like a career ending blow. After signing a four-year contract in July 2008 with the Coyotes, Sauer’s injury troubles have multiplied. He missed 14 games in 2008-09 with a lower body injury, and then only appeared once last season due to massive headaches and head related issues he suffered in 2007. Sauer’s outlook is not positive as the crafty two-way defenseman is likely to be out most of (if not all) of the year once again. Dave Tippett cannot factor him into the lineup at all this year, which makes their 3rd pairing quite young and interesting.

  25 year-old Sami Lepisto (along with Yandle) will head into a contract year with the Coyotes and is set to be a restricted free-agent. Lepisto played his first full NHL season with the Coyotes after just 14 appearances over two year with the Capitals. Lepisto plays a very confident game, and has for many years now. He is very strong on the puck with an offensive upside, as is the trend for most of the Coyotes’ defense. His overly confident nature sometimes gets him out of position, but his work ethic to improve his overall strength and positioning improved him greatly over the course of last season. His +14 rating was good for 2nd on the team, and with increased ice time and confidence from Tippett he could be on his way to prove himself worth a contract renewal with a stellar season. The six spot will be one of the most interesting battles on the ice for the Coyotes should they decide not to take training camp invitee, Shane Hnidy. Hnidy presents a solid defensive effort year in, and year out, and is working hard despite suffering a shoulder injury during camp. It would be a solid signing in terms of available free-agent defensemen for GM Don Maloney, and could easily replace the loss of Kurt Sauer. Hnidy is 9 seasons experienced and while he doesn’t present an offensive threat, he is sound in his own zone and tends to make good decisions with the puck. David Schlemko, 21, played up with Phoenix 17 times last season and looked quite good, posting 1 goal and 5 points with a +1 rating and just 8 PIMs. Schlemko spent his other 55 games played down with San Antonio where he racked up 5 goals and 31 points. He re-signed in June to a three-year extension at the bargain price of $550,000 per-year. At 6’2 196lbs. Schlemko is a big bodied defenseman that can throw his weight around and protect his own zone deep. Schlemko will be looking at a lot more time up in the NHL this year, but if a veteran or rookie is able to out-shine his ethic in camp, he could slide down to the seven spot. Schlemko shows good signs for the Coyotes and will be out to prove the contract renewal was the right call.

  The two highly touted youngsters trying to prove themselves in camp this year are Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Maxim Goncharaov, who were both signed to three-year entry-level contracts in May. Ekman-Larsson, 19, was drafted 6th overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft and is projected to be a stud in the NHL. The Swedish born defenseman is highly skilled with the puck and skates ultra smoothly with great mobility. His timing and positioning in his own zone is impressive at such a young age, but he could stand to add some muscle. Oliver spent last season with Leksand of Swe2, where he posted 11 goals and 33 points in 52 games. 21 year-old Maxim Goncharov was drafted 123rd overall in 2007 by the Coyotes and will make his North American debut this year. Goncharov has spent his last two years in the KHL for CSKA Moscow collecting 11 goals and 32 points in 98 games with 102 penalty minutes. Goncharov is a two-way defenseman and plays with a physical edge, but he still has maturing and conditioning to work on. Coach Dave Tippet showed his determination not to play underdeveloped players on his roster last year, which will likely see both of these kids down to the AHL to build them as players. Though Goncharov is older, Ekman-Larsson is ahead of him as the most likely to get a chance. His skill sets are very strong and should he get the roster spot he could really turn some heads this year and continue to push the depth way down the charts on the back end for the Coyotes. Other impressive youngsters in the AHL include the likes of Chris Summers, Jonas Ahnelov, Michael Stone, and Nick Ross. These four have all shown promising signs for the organization and with rising talent in Brandon Gormley and Justin Weller (sent back to their respective junior clubs) coming along swimmingly, the defense is looking solid for years to come in the desert.

  The goaltending was a sharp as we’ve seen it in recent years. Ilya Bryzgalov bettered himself through the course of the 2009-10 season with arguably his best performance in his 7 years in the National Hockey League. He went 42-20-6 in 69 games with a 2.29 GAA and .920 save percentage with 8 shutouts. He wasn’t the only reason Phoenix finished where they did, but he was undeniably the best player on the ice for the team. His play earned him nomination for the Vezina Trophy for the first time in his career, which he lost out on against Ryan Miller. ‘Bryz’ appeared twice for his country (Russia) in the Olympics with one loss and an impressive 1.78 GAA with an even more impressive .942 save percentage. His post-season play was slightly off from his regular season play going 3-4 (3.44 GAA and .906 SP) but he did give his team a chance to win every night. His regular season play put him in 3rd in the league in wins, second in shutouts, 6th in goals against average, and 9th is save percentage. He impressed in the shootout as well, facing more shootout shots (62) than any other goalie in the NHL and finished in a tie with 8 wins for league best. Bryzgalov, 30, heads into the final year of his three-year contract and with the amount of success and time he’s had in net since his acquisition from Anaheim, I’m sure both he and Maloney will be set on a contract renewal.

“I hope we will be moving forward and everybody can stay positive and work hard, because our mission is to win the Stanley Cup here,” Bryzgalov said.

“Very much so.”  Head coach Dave Tippett responded to a question regarding his confidence in Bryzgalov ahead of next year, and whether he could continue with the same impressive numbers we saw last year. “There’s no question he can. If we continue to play a strong game in front of him, his fundamentals are so sound I predict he’ll have another season similar to last season. He’s just so sound in everything he does.”

  Surprisingly enough, the 2nd place finisher among shootout winners was his backup, Jason LaBarbera, with 7. LaBarbera complimented Bryzgalov beautifully in his 17 appearances and actually had better numbers than Ilya. In 17 games LaBarbera went 8-5-1 with a 2.13 GAA and .928 save percentage. LaBarbera is also the ripe age of 30, and is also headed into a contract year reaping only $1 million from the cap. LaBarbera is the perfect backup for franchise goaltender Bryzgalov and even with Al Montoya coming, has done nothing short of deserving a contract renewal come the end of this season. LaBarbera’s numbers over the past two years will surely catch the eye of GMs’ around the league looking for a solid number two, but the Maloney and the rest of the organization will be hopeful that the upward trend of the franchise will be enough to entice him to come back for a shot at the Stanley Cup in the near future.

  With there being no question as to what the goaltending tandem can do in the coming season, the onus lies on the altered forward and defensive pairings. The addition of veteran Ray Whitney should greatly increase the lackluster powerplay ahead of this season, and the addition of Eric Belanger should make the penalty kill even stronger. As the younger and mid-aged players improve, I see great things in store for this Phoenix Coyotes team in the years to come. The defense has gotten a bit thinner with the loss of Michalek and Schneider, but the emergence of players drafted in years past could replenish this defensive squad and really turn some heads if they fulfill their expectations.

  The x factor for the Coyotes is the fact that unlike last year, they won’t be sneaking up on anyone, and will have to work hard every night to succeed in the way that they did last year. GM Don Maloney will have his hands full once again as 10 of the 17 most important forwards, and 3 of the 7 roster defensemen have expiring contracts at the end of the year. Maloney showed his ability to make the best out of a situation and won the GM of the Year Award last season to prove it. The $9.768 million free cap dollars is a misleading available cap space as Phoenix in no way can come close to the cap ceiling. The ongoing concern is the ownership, and the stability of the Glendale market to release the NHL of the ownership, which can’t last much longer. The good news for the NHL and the city of Glendale is the fact that Phoenix is on the rise, and at least for one more year will be playing in the desert. I hope they stay, as we saw the Pittsburgh Penguins’ financial crisis nearly boot them out of town not all that long ago. They overcame, and won a Stanley Cup just two years ago and have a fighting chance every year they play. Phoenix, too, showed signs of a long term competitor, one that could make a Finals appearance quicker than anyone had ever imagined.

- Kendall Grubbs

Transactions to Date:

In
Dave Tippett (head coach)
Jeff Twohey (amateur scout)
Ray Whitney
Wojtek Wolski
Lee Stempniak
Eric Belanger
Garrett Stafford
Nolan Yonkman
Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Maxim Goncharov
Chris Summers
Josh Lunden
Mathieu Brodeur
Matt Beaudoin
Matt Climie
Bracken Kearns

Out
Peter Mueller
Matthew Lombardi
Zbynek Michalek
Robert Lang
Jim Vandermeer
Mathieu Schneider
Kevin Porter
Joel Perrault
Petteri Nokelainen
Daniel Winnik
Anders Eriksson
Shaun Heshka
Jeff Hoggan