The Arizona Coyotes have been one of the biggest surprises so far this NHL season. But who have been their biggest surprises?
The Arizona Coyotes came into this season hoping to contend in the Pacific Division. They nearly made the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season despite facing numerous injuries. The Phil Kessel trade finally gave the Coyotes the dynamic offensive talent they needed. Few teams have surprised more this season than the Yotes.
Though the month of November hasn’t gone well for them so far, they’re firmly in the middle of what might be the toughest division in the NHL – the Pacific Division. The Yotes still have some learning to do and they need to be better, especially at holding leads. This second week of November, which features games against the Washington Capitals, St. Louis Blues, Minnesota Wild, and Calgary Flames, should tell us a lot about them.
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Let’s take a look at the three biggest surprises so far for the Coyotes.
3. Nick Schmaltz
It’s funny how things work. Roughly a year ago, the Coyotes traded Dylan Strome to the Chicago Blackhawks for Nick Schmaltz. Originally, people thought the Yotes got the better player. But then Schmaltz got injured and Strome had immediate success in Chicago. This made people wonder what Arizona was thinking.
Schmaltz has shown everyone what the Coyotes were thinking when they traded for him. He leads the team in assists (11) and points (15). Furthermore, Schmaltz’s underlying stats are quite impressive. The Yotes are clearly a better team when he’s on the ice. Schmaltz has formed immediate chemistry with Christian Dvorak and Conor Garland, as they’ve formed a very effective line.
Are there things he needs to work on? Sure. Schmaltz needs to take charge a little bit more and be more aggressive. Also, he could stand to improve in the face-off circle, though having Dvorak on his line has helped make up for it. But so far, it’s hard to argue Schmaltz hasn’t matched, and likely exceeded, the expectations his team had for him.
2. Jakob Chychrun
For various reasons, defenseman Jakob Chychrun came into the 2019-20 season having to answer some questions. Most of them revolved around his durability, as he has missed at least 30 games in each of his past two seasons. Those injuries left the team wondering what they had in Chychrun, even after his long-term extension suggested they clearly valued him.
He’s answered a lot of those doubts this season. Obviously, Chychrun still has to answer for his durability issues. But he hasn’t missed any games yet and it’s clear a full, healthy offseason has done wonders for him. Chychrun has been a huge part of the Coyotes success so far, forming a very effective shutdown pairing with Alex Goligoski, who’s also having a great season.
1. Darcy Kuemper
Last season, the Coyotes got outstanding goaltending. It was largely due to the efforts of Darcy Kuemper, who finished the season with a .925% save percentage. However, people questioned if that was just a fluke. So far, Kuemper has proved it wasn’t one.
As impressive as he was last season, he’s been even better through 12 starts this season. Kuemper has a .930% save percentage, which ranks fourth among goalies with at least 10 starts. He was expected to form a tandem with Antti Raanta, but thanks to injuries, he’s had to carry the load early. Not only has Kuemper proven last year wasn’t a fluke, but he’s proven he should be the Yotes number one goalie.