Arizona Coyotes 2014-15 Season Preview
Apr 13, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Phoenix Coyotes goalie Thomas Greiss (1) and defenseman Zbynek Michalek (4) celebrate after beating the Dallas Stars 2-1 at Jobing.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
ARIZONA COYOTES
2013-14 RECAP
The Phoenix (now Arizona) Coyotes fought down to the wire, but when the dust was settled, they were on the outside looking in, finishing two points behind the Dallas Stars for the final Wild Card spot. Goalie Smith missed the last 10 games of the season with an injury and the Coyotes went 3-5-2 in that span to wind up in 9th place.
Mar 20, 2014; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers center Sam Gagner (89) skates with the puck against the Buffalo Sabres during the third period at Rexall Place. Buffalo Sabres won 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
CHANGES
IN – Sam Gagner, Joe Vitale, B.J. Crombeen, Devan Dubnyk
OUT– Mike Ribeiro, Radim Vrbata, Jeff Halpern, Paul Bissonnette, Derek Morris
There wasn’t much turnaround for the Coyotes this off-season. Gagner was a steal as he came along with Crombeen for a sixth round pick. Gagner has been in the NHL since he was 18 and will fill the hole left by Ribeiro. The Coyotes didn’t replace Vrbata’s production on the wing.
Mar 25, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Phoenix Coyotes right wing Shane Doan (19) chases the puck up ice against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the third period at the CONSOL Energy Center. The Phoenix Coyotes won 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
3 BIG QUESTIONS
1. Is youth being served? – It looks like Max Domi and Lucas Lessio, a couple of former OHL standounts, will get every opportunity to stick with the club and get some prime offensive opportunities. Whether or not they can step in and help the Coyotes get to the next level remains to be seen.
2. Is Doan nearly done? – Captain Shane Doan has played his entire career with the organization, and is still their most productive forward, but is nearing the tail end of his career. The Coyotes need to insulate him with some younger talent that can shoulder the load as he starts to slow down.
3. How good is Mike Smith REALLY?- The Coyotes were in a playoff spot when their number 1 goalie went down with a season ending injury on March 29th. They ended up missing the post-season by 2 points. Smith was the third goalie for team Canada at the Olympics, but his roller-coaster numbers question his ability to carry a team for the long term.
Mar 11, 2014; Sunrise, FL, USA; Phoenix Coyotes defenseman Keith Yandle (3) before a game against the Florida Panthers at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports
PREDICTION
The Coyotes will be in tough to make headway in the tough Western Conference. Ribeiro and Vrbata were enigmatic but productive, and Lessio and Domi will be good eventually, but will have to make the transition. The Coyotes have two of the best blueliners in Keith Yandle and Oliver Ekman-Larsson that will quarterback much of the offense from the back end, but a lot of the roster looks like spare parts that the Coyotes put together in patchwork fashion
5th in Pacific Division