TEMPE, AZ – Going into the 2022-23 season, the average Hockey fan had very low expectations for the Arizona Coyotes. Moving into their new temporary home at the Mullett Arena on the Arizona State University campus, many people figured that that was where the Coyotes belonged.
Coyotes’ goalie Karel Vejmelka – Photo by Jack Lima
And it’s true that much of their team could have been mistaken for ASU players. The Coyotes iced the fifth youngest team in the NHL at the end of last season, having traded away players like Nick Bjugstad, Troy Stecher and Shayne Gostisbehere.
Many accused the Coyotes at the beginning of the season of tanking, deliberately trying to finish last in the league to increase their chances of being awarded the first overall pick in the draft and first crack at drafting Conor Bedard. Instead, they performed (slightly) above expectations, finishing 27th in the league. This finish was good enough to virtually remove them from the running for Bedard, while still finishing out of the playoffs. In some people’s eyes, the Coyotes couldn’t even tank right.
That assertion is not totally without merit. Relegated to playing in a College arena that they share with ASU when their toxic relationship with the City of Glendale had finally reached its inevitable conclusion, they became the target of derision (again) in the eyes of most NHL fans. Coyotes fans took it in stride. They’re quite used to it at this point. They responded by packing the Mullett Arena night in and night out and making it one of the loudest (and by most accounts one of the most fun) atmospheres for an NHL game.
For their part, the players responded by exceeding expectations, however modestly. If nothing else, they were an entertaining team to watch. Filled with players small in stature but big in heart and tenacity (and speed) they tended to look more like roadrunners than coyotes. Clayton Keller, bouncing back from a horrible leg injury suffered at the end of the 2021-22 season, had a career year and was a finalist for the Masterton Trophy for comeback player of the year. Lawson Crouse had career bests in goals, assists and points and established himself as a leader on the team. Barrett Hayton turned a corner and seems to be on track to fulfill the promise of a fifth overall draft pick. Matias Maccelli burst onto the scene with 49 points in his first full season in the NHL. He finished fourth in voting for the Calder Trophy awarded to the NHL rookie of the year.
The season was followed with more off-ice drama, as the team lobbied for development of a site in Tempe for a new arena of their own. The plan was to develop city-owned land that is currently a landfill and turn it into an entertainment district. The voters in Tempe (those that showed up to vote) resoundingly voted down the proposition, due in large part to a very strong campaign by advocacy group Tempe 1st and a very weak response by the Coyotes. Tempe 1st characterized the plan as a money grab by the team, when even a cursory look at the actual proposals would have disproved that notion. The Coyotes relied on a grass-roots campaign within the hockey community to rally the vote. Unfortunately, most of the people who bothered to vote on the proposals were not hockey fans and didn’t really hear the information the Coyotes were putting out. The no vote leaves the Coyotes arena situation in limbo. The Coyotes have said that they are looking into further options in the Valley but have declined to specify what those options might be, for fear of jeopardizing ongoing negotiations. Time will tell how this situation will resolve, be it a new arena in the Valley or relocation elsewhere, as many outside Arizona are quick to speculate.
On the ice, the key losses for the Coyotes include Jakob Chychrun and Shayne Gostisbehere, who were traded at the deadline last season, and Christian Fischer, who was released by the Coyotes during the off-season and signed with Detroit as a free agent. Chychrun was the solidifying force on the blue line for the Coyotes, a young player who is still growing into his potential. Gostisbehere was a veteran presence and a gifted offensive defenseman who excelled at quarterbacking the power play. Fischer put up his second-highest totals in goals, assists and points of his NHL career, but his value was more in the locker room and in the community. He was well-liked by his coaches, teammates and fans in a way that makes his value hard to quantify.
The Coyotes made several moves during the off-season, starting with returning center Nick Bjugstad and defenseman Troy Stecher into the fold. Both had been traded at the deadline last season but returned as free agents this season, expressing their firm belief in the Coyotes culture and coaching staff as key reasons for returning. New additions include Matt Dumba and Sean Durzi, two skilled defensemen who should help out on the power play and fill the gaps left by the departures of Chychrun and Gostisbehere. Also joining the Coyotes are forwards Jason Zucker and Alex Kerfoot, two veteran players with experience on winning teams that should help set a good example for the Coyotes’ younger players. One player who should benefit from that experience is Coyotes 2022 first round draft pick (3rd overall) Logan Cooley, who will be expected to impact the Coyotes offense this season.
The Coyotes open training camp this season across two continents. Part of the team opened camp at the Ice Den in Scottsdale, the usual practice home of the Coyotes, while the remainder of the team began training camp at the O’Brien Ice House in Melbourne, Australia, where they will prepare for the NHL’s Global Series, Melbourne. This league-sponsored showcase event will culminate with two exhibition games between the Coyotes and the Los Angeles Kings at Rod Laver Arena. The teams will face off on September 23rd and 24th before returning to the States for the remainder of the preseason.
While the team won’t confirm any definite personnel decisions until later in camp, the roster that the Coyotes took to Australia will likely look a lot like their final opening-night roster, minus a couple of names. Those left behind will have to really perform well in the preseason to bump one of these players for a spot.
The additions of Zucker, Kerfoot, Dumba and Durzi should help the offense of the Coyotes, providing a boost of leadership and consistency. These are two areas where the team struggled last season. They weren’t terrible offensively, but sometimes goals just didn’t seem to come when they were needed most. This is an area where they will need to improve, and the new additions, including Cooley, should help with that. This will allow a couple of younger players to return to Tucson where they can get more ice time in all situations and continue to improve their game. Dylan Guenther has a shot at the opening night roster, having opened some eyes in a stint with the big club last season, but he may need additional time in Tucson to give him a better opportunity to blossom. Michael Carcone also got a brief look last season, but while he showed some flashes of brilliance he often seemed overmatched and probably needs some more time in the AHL. Josh Doan and Conor Geekie both impressed at the Rookie Showcase, but will likely return to Tucson for more seasoning and more consistent ice time as they look to develop their game. Recent history suggests that some of these guys will get an opportunity with the big club this season and they will need to be ready to prove that they belong in the NHL.
Defensively, the Coyotes rely on a whole-team concept. A big part of their defensive performance will depend on how well the forwards can stay within Andre Tourigny’s defensive system. That said, the addition of Matt Dumba and Sean Durzi to counter the loss of Chychrun and Gostisbehere is not quite a wash. The loss of Chychrun will hurt the team defensively, but the Coyotes will count on another year of experience with their system to mitigate that loss.
Once again, the Coyotes will count on their goaltending more than they probably should. Karel Vejmelka and Connor Ingram performed better than their records showed last season. They each put up a decent Goals Against Average and Save Percentage, considering what they had to face many nights. The Coyotes will look for that to continue.
Overall, the Coyotes should be better than they were last season, but probably not significantly so. They might contend for a playoff spot, but I think that would be a longshot. They are probably looking at another year of slightly overachieving, and with luck steadily improving, if they can play within Andre Tourigny’s system. I think his system works well with the pieces he has in place. He has shown a remarkable ability to get the most out of a lot of young, inexperienced players. His perceived success in this area led to his contract renewal, along with the bulk of his coaching staff. They will be instrumental in keeping the Coyotes headed in the right direction.
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