NHL Mid-Season Grades: Pacific Division Breakdown

ARIZONA COYOTES

Current Record: 13-24-6 (32 points)

The Arizona Coyotes are one of only two teams who are currently completely out of the playoff picture. New GM John Chayka turned the team over to a youth movement with a strategy that revolves around analytics. To say year one is a write-off is an understatement, but growing pains were expected. The Coyotes will add draft picks and young players by dealing their veterans (save for Shane Doan, but we will see).

FORWARDS: C-

The forward group is lifeless without Max Domi.

Radim Vrbata is leading the team in scoring out of necessity and should be one of the top players to be moved around the trade deadline.

Anthony Duclair and Shane Doan are having underwhelming seasons and that’s a cause of concern for two different reasons. Duclair shouldn’t be struggling this bad, and it’s about time for Doan.

Jordan Martinook and Christian Dvorak have played well despite the team’s struggles and seem to have an edge on the likes of Lawson Crouse and Laurent Dauphin.

Peter Holland, Alex Burmistrov and Josh Jooris were all picked up on waivers or for a cheap price to become NHL filler players. Any roster with filler players is not a recipe for success.

DEFENSE: D+

The Coyotes should be a better team based on their defensive group, but both Connor Murphy and Michael Stone have taken huge steps back after signing their new contracts in the summer.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson is the best player on this team, but he hasn’t had his best year.

The Coyotes are making a huge mistake playing Chychrun in the NHL and they only need to look at OEL’s “D” partner to see what they are doing to him. Chychrun is on pace to become a second coming of Luke Schenn.

GOALIES: B-

Mike Smith has had a huge bounce back season after almost losing his job to Louis Domingue last year. Smith will be the lone representative of the Yotes at the All-Star game despite his paltry seven wins.

Smith is the only reason the Coyotes have had chances in some of their games this season. Domingue’s disappointing sophomore season is the reason for a lower grade.

BIGGEST SURPRISE: ANTHONY DEANGELO’S OFFENSE

Prior to his injury, Anthony Deangelo was scoring at a 40-point pace as an NHL rookie d-man on one of the worst teams in the league.

Deangelo is a former Tampa Bay Lightning’s first round pick who was dealt to the Yotes for a second round pick at the 2016 draft.

Deangelo is back in the minors, but with his surprising play, he should be in the big leagues unless the Yotes are trying to tank for Nolan Patrick.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: DUCLAIR’S DYING OFFENSE

Anthony Duclair scored 44 points as an NHL rookie last year, and has followed it up with a classic sophomore slump.

Duclair is currently on a 20-point pace and that kind of drop off is unacceptable to the point that GM John Chayka has allowed Duclair’s name to come up in rumors.

He could be dealt at a low price.

OUTLOOK:

This season is over, but the Coyotes still have a lot to play for. The club has Dylan Strome and Clayton Keller in the prospect pool, and they will likely shape their team around those two players along with Max Domi.

Martin Hanzal, Radim Vrbata, and Michael Stone will likely be dealt for draft picks and young prospects as we watch the next rebuilding team come together before our eyes.

Shane Doan probably will stay, but he should leave the franchise for a chance at a cup.