The Arizona Coyotes ended the 2017-18 season on quite a tear. What does an ideal offseason look like for a team looking to finally break through?
The Arizona Coyotes ended the 2017-18 regular season as one of the hottest teams in hockey. That’s thanks to the play of Antti Raanta, who got a contract extension for his efforts. If he was healthy all season, the Coyotes might even have made the playoffs. At the very least, they could have been a bubble team. Instead, they have the third-best odds of getting the first overall pick.
So what does the ideal offseason look like for a team in a position they haven’t been in for a long time – a position to contend?
Who Should They Call Up?
Dylan Strome and Nick Merkley have led the Tucson Roadrunners to first place in the Western Conference in the AHL. They’re more than ready for prime time, especially after this tremendous season developmentally. Strome might not be the first line center the Arizona Coyotes hoped when they drafted him, but he should be a nice complement to Derek Stepan from the second line.
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The Coyotes also have Michael Bunting, Trevor Murphy, and Kyle Capobianco in the minors. Each of those players could turn into depth (or in the case of Capobianco, impact) players. The Tucson team has developed players well this season, and the Coyotes would be wise to take advantage heading into next season.
Who To Sign And Who To Let Go
Calling up two defensemen from the AHL means the Arizona Coyotes will have to let go of two defensemen. Luckily, Kevin Connauton and Luke Schenn are both free agents.
Murphy and Capobianco could step into their roles, where they won’t even have to be top four quite yet. Not with Jakob Chychrun, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Alex Goligoski, and Niklas Hjalmarsson there. Jason Demers could even be a veteran mentor.
The offense is what the Coyotes need to focus on. Even with the additions of Strome, Merkley, and Bunting, the Coyotes need some more firepower. Brad Richardson is likely on his way out. So is Zac Rinaldo. Max Domi needs a new contract. Brendan Perlini and Christian Dvorak need extensions next season. Too many of the Arizona Coyotes’ forwards belong on the bottom six.
So they need to be buyers in free agency, especially with a talented class. James Neal makes a lot of sense, and so does David Perron, both from Vegas. James van Riemsdyk could be a fit with the Coyotes. More than anything, though, the Coyotes need a talented fourth line center. They have a good potential first three, with Stepan, Strome, and Dvorak.
Riley Nash or Tyler Bozak could add a lot to the Coyotes from the fourth line. Next season, the Coyotes could have the following line-up:
Clayton Keller – Derek Stepan – James Neal
Brendan Perlini – Dylan Strome – Nick Merkley
Max Domi – Christian Dvorak – Richard Panik
Nick Cousins – Tyler Bozak – Christian Fischer
That’s not bad.
Trade
There’s only one player the Coyotes should consider trading, assuming OEL sticks around. That player is Max Domi. Domi has had back-to-back seasons of single-digit goals, each season his shooting percentage falling. He’s clearly not the player he was his rookie season, despite playing more time each season. Domi can play a variety of positions and is still young, so he could conceivably be worth a good deal.
Plus, the line-up presented above doesn’t take into account players on the Coyotes’ roster, including Jordan Martinook, Laurent Dauphin, and Josh Archibald. Christian Fischer can be elevated to the third line and one of those three could play in his place on the fourth line. That’s if the Coyotes don’t draft a forward in the first round. If the Coyotes get someone like Filip Zadina or Andrei Svechnikov, then they won’t even need another winger.
Domi was rumored to be on the block at the deadline. He could be on the block at the NHL draft.
Next: Coyotes Offseason Outlook
In Conclusion
The Arizona Coyotes are a few small moves and a bit of health away from being a contender in the Pacific. Especially as teams like the Kings and the Ducks age and re-invent themselves, the Coyotes could take advantage. If the Coyotes’ play from the end of January forward proves anything, it’s that they’re a better team than they showed this season.