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NHL Power Rankings: Week 13 Injuries, Prospects, In-Depth Analysis

By Matt Duscharme

Dec 31, 2016; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (72) celebrates the win after the game against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center. The Blue Jackets won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 31, 2016; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (72) celebrates the win after the game against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center. The Blue Jackets won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports /
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NHL Power Rankings: Arizona Coyotes left wing Anthony Duclair (10) celebrates with left wing Christian Dvorak (18), defenseman Jakob Chychrun (6), left wing Lawson Crouse (67) and defenseman Luke Schenn (2) after scoring a goal in the second period against the New York Rangers at Gila River Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
NHL Power Rankings: Arizona Coyotes left wing Anthony Duclair (10) celebrates with left wing Christian Dvorak (18), defenseman Jakob Chychrun (6), left wing Lawson Crouse (67) and defenseman Luke Schenn (2) after scoring a goal in the second period against the New York Rangers at Gila River Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports /

Previous Ranking: 29 (-1)

Team Record: (11-22-5)

Goals For: 79

Goals Against: 123

Special Teams

PP: 16-for-114 (14.0 percent) (T-25th)
PK: 33-for-132 (75.0 percent) (29th)

Injury List

Dave Bolland (lower body) – out indefinitely
Max Domi (hand) – out indefinitely
Brad Richardson (leg) – out indefinitely
Ryan White (lower body) – day-to-day

Statistical Leaders in 2016-17

Top Forward: Radim Vrbata (38gp 9g 15a 24pts)
Top Defenseman: Oliver Ekman-Larsson (38gp 7g 12a 19pts)
Top Rookie: Christian Dvorak (34gp 4g 8a 12pts)
Top Goaltender: Mike Smith (7-11-4 2.83GAA .919 save percentage)

Player of the Week: D Oliver Ekman-Larsson (3gp 0g 2a 2pts)

I’m not one that typically likes to boast about correct predictions. It is pretty funny though how much I talked about Arizona’s need to address their goaltending in the offseason, and here we are almost halfway through the year watching a complete debacle between the pipes. As I feared, Smith went down with an injury, as he often does, and Louis Domingue was called upon to carry the load for a chunk of time. He failed miserably. As I stated leading into 2016-17, Domingue needed one more full year down in Tucson. Hopefully seeing a fraction of the starts doesn’t stunt his development.

Looking at the numbers, Arizona had their toughest two-week stretch of the season going 0-5-0 with eight goals for, 20 goals against. With that, the Coyotes find a home again in the basement of our NHL power rankings.

If you’re a Coyotes fan looking for reasons to be optimistic in 2016-17. You’ve got potential future assets coming back in trades leading up to the deadline (i.e. Martin Hanzal). Also, 20 percent odds of snagging Nolan Patrick isn’t too shabby. He might not be the can’t miss 1st overall pick of past years, but he has a chance to be a very dominant player in this league. Imagine a top-nine that features Dylan Strome, Nolan Patrick, and Christian Dvorak up the middle.

Weekly Prospect Profile: D Patrick Kudla, Dubuque (USHL)

2016-17 stats:28gp 4g 13a 17pts

Selected 158th overall (6th round) in 2016, Kudla is an intriguing prospect. A bit of a late bloomer, Patrick chose the route less traveled for NHL prospects. He racked up 61 points in 48 games for the Guelph Hurricanes of the GOJHL back in 2014-15. A year later, he posted 66 points in 50 games with the Oakville Blades of the OJHL, while also tallying 86 penalty minutes. Kudla has most recently joined Dubuque of the USHL as a stop-gap option before starting his NCAA career in the fall of 2017 with Arizona State.

– Ryan Ritchie

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