One reason each NHL team should be excited for the 2019 season

Arizona Coyotes – Phil The Thrill

The Arizona Coyotes haven’t made the playoffs since the 2011-12 season. Despite a number of injuries, they nearly made the postseason in 2018-19 but fell short by four points. The Coyotes finished near the bottom of the league in scoring, so they made a bold trade for disgruntled forward Phil Kessel.

The Coyotes will have the odds stacked against them making the postseason in the Western Conference. But now they have someone who can help their offense breakthrough – Kessel.

Kessel has his warts, but he’s one of the few dynamic wings in the NHL. Every time he touches the puck, he’s capable of scoring. Kessel will be reunited with head coach Rick Tocchet, who helped the Pittsburgh Penguins get the most out of him in 2015-16 and 2016-17.

The Coyotes struggled to score on the power play last season. Kessel should help change that, as he was a key member of the lethal Penguins power play. He has enough talent to turn the Coyotes from one of the worst scoring teams in the league to one of the league’s more respectable scoring teams.

With better health, the Coyotes won’t have to play so conservatively. They also have an excellent goaltending tandem in Antti Raanta and Darcy Kuemper. The Coyotes will have the odds stacked against them making the postseason in the Western Conference. But now they have someone who can help their offense breakthrough – Kessel.