PHOENIX , AZ – The Phoenix Coyotes had (and still do) have a mountain of issues to deal with since the close of the 2008-09 season. But through the maelstrom of financial issues and bankruptcy hearings, the Coyotes management and scouts focused and completed a reasonable draft in Montreal this past June. Their top pick, defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, was safely in the fold on the first day and the Coyotes are looking for him to be in the NHL sooner rather than later. “He really looks like he could be something special,” said General Manager Don Maloney in a coyotes.nhl.com feature. “He makes the game look easy. His skating and his fluidity and his puck game are just a step above everybody on the ice. He’s still the lightest player we have on the ice, which is surprising, but if there’s ever a lock to be a good player in the league, yeah, he’s as good as what we have in our organization, as far as prospects are concerned.” Phoenix’s prospect camp ended last weekend and the players were put through their paces both on and off the ice. Beyond the usual on-ice drills were the off-ice strength and conditioning programs. But the players were also taken for a hike on Camelback Mountain north of Phoenix in the blistering heat. Nothing will clean out a system faster or more efficiently than a quick jaunt through the hiking trails surrounding the Valley of the Sun. “This was a good experience for me,” said Ekman-Larsson “It was good to meet the guys and be around the team and the general manager and the coaches. It was fun.” In addition to Ekman-Larsson, Phoenix drafted center Chris Brown from the U-18 USA Hockey program, Michael Lee from the Fargo Force (USHL), Jordan Szwarz from the Saginaw Sting (OHL), Justin Weller from the Red Deer Rebels (WHL), and Evan Bloodoff from the WHL champion Kelowna Rockets. Brown was a big part of the USA U-18 gold cup champion squad in 2009. In seven games he picked up 4 goals and 3 assists. In 68 games during the regular season he accumulated 120 PIMs and 38 points. Lee was in the Fargo net this season and posted a 2.40 GAA with a 26-15-4 record. He will be attending St Cloud State (WCHA), which is in the state of Minnesota, for the coming hockey season. Bloodoff, much like Brown, was a title winner this past season. In 22 games, he picked up three goals and six points in 22 games as Kelowna won the Western Hockey League title. While the Coyotes got significantly younger on draft day, they also added a bit more veteran leadership when they signed Adrian Aucoin to a one-year deal. The defenseman, 35, had 10 goals and 34 points for the Calgary Flames last season and should be expected to provide some maturity on the back line and leadership to the young corps of Phoenix defensemen. In addition to Aucoin, Phoenix recently signed center Vern Fiddler and goaltender Jason LaBarbera to two-year contracts. Fiddler was in Nashville last season and LaBarbera was in Los Angeles and Vancouver. The difficulty for the Coyotes comes right back to the financial mess in which they find themselves. It will be exceedingly difficult to recruit free agents to the Phoenix area when the NHL is running the team while new ownership is sought, betted and put in place by a bankruptcy judge. Maloney and the rest of the hockey operations staff in Phoenix need time and patience from the fans in Glendale. That’s a luxury they may not have as the buzzards circle the raspy breathed Coyotes. If youth is served in Phoenix they will need to get old quick and become an exciting team while they mature. Overall grade: C- Contact lou.lafrado@prohockeynews.com
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