Arizona Coyotes Could Use Cap Space to Solidify Goaltending

Arizona Coyotes Free Up Cap Space Following Antoine Vermette Buyout, Could Use Extra Money to Solidify Goaltending

There are more than enough reasons to get excited if you’re an Arizona Coyotes fan. Reasons for optimism include the addition of Alex Goligoski coupled with incoming prospects such as Dylan Strome and Christian Dvorak.

A big question mark still remains between the pipes however. While fans still put their confidence in Mike Smith and emerging netminder Louis Domingue, logic suggests the pair could struggle, at least in the immediate future.

Realistically, Domingue could use another year or two in the minors. He proved capable of filling in temporary winning Rookie of the Month in January 2016, yet so did Garret Sparks up in Toronto.

More from Puck Prose

At 24 years old, there’s still a window for more growth and development in Louis Domingue’s game. He is much better served to receive an AHL starter workload opposed to NHL backup duties.

Next we have 34-year-old Mike Smith, who has three years remaining on his contract (annual cap hit of $5.66 million dollars/year). While a proven starter, health continues to plague him throughout his career.

A 2016-17 tandem of Smith and Domingue is a highly vulnerable situation. If Smith goes down and Domingue struggles, that leaves the Yotes to depend on Justin Peters, Marek Langhamer, or Adin Hill.

There are a few different ways to properly address this conundrum, but each leads to the same result; adding a new goalie to the mix.