4 Big Questions for the Arizona Coyotes in 2020-21
There’s four big questions facing the Arizona Coyotes in 2020-21.
Our 2020-21 NHL Season Previews covering every team continues today as we take a hard, long look at the Arizona Coyotes and what lies ahead for them this year.
We are going to delve into the four biggest questions staring the Coyotes in the face in 2020-21, as we did with the Anaheim Ducks here, and we will do the same for every single team all the way through to Jan. 13, 2021.
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And we have a lot to dive into with the Arizona Coyotes. A lot.
It was a rough offseason for the Yotes who hired a new General Manager in Bill Armstrong, who in turn was launched straight into the fire.
Without even having time to get settled, Armstrong had to deal with his Captain in Oliver Ekman-Larsson wanting a trade, coupled with having to cut 2020 Draft pick Mitchell Miller after he was found to have abused a Black disabled classmate at school.
With the prospects cupboard also pretty bare, it has been a rough start to life in Arizona for Armstrong, and it remains to be seen whether or not the Coyotes will be any good in 2020-21.
So, without further ado, let’s delve into the Four Biggest Questions facing the Arizona Coyotes during the 2020-21 NHL season…
4. Is a mass teardown on the way?
The Arizona Coyotes are one big hot mess right now, there’s just no nice way of putting it at this stage.
For some of the reasons we mapped out above, and a lot more, this is a franchise without a clear identity right now and things could get a lot worse before they get better.
Granted, they did make the postseason in 2019-20 under Head Coach Rick Tocchet for the first time since the 2011-12 season, losing to the Colorado Avalanche in the First Round after beating the Nashville Predators in the Best-of-Five Play-In series.
However, that was effectively just putting lipstick on a pig because the Coyotes were not very good in 2019-20, and they seemed to regress dramatically in the second-half of the year even after acquiring elite winger Taylor Hall at the Trade Deadline.
Arizona won’t have Hall this season, who signed a one-year, $8 million deal with the Buffalo Sabres in Free Agency, and they also don’t have a lot of other standout stars on this roster after trading Derek Stepan to the Ottawa Senators.
That deal did bring back a Second-Round pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, and it could also be a precursor of things to come for this stagnant franchise.
After all, they wasted a ton of picks on Taylor Hall, they cut their highest pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft Mitchell Miller due to off-ice issues, and they were also stripped off their 2020 Second Round pick and their First Round selection in 2021 for violating the NHL’s Combine Testing Policy.
So, could new General Manager Bill Armstrong look to commence a massive teardown in order to load up on draft picks and then restock a seriously depleted farm system?
With very little cap room too and a bunch of fading veterans on big contracts, Armstrong could be tempted to clean house at the Trade Deadline if the Coyotes fail to pull their weight in the West Division in 2020-21, pulling the trigger on a full rebuild and attempting to get some tangible assets back in order to build for the future.
It is a situation that could well be on the cards this season and it is one worth keeping an eye on, especially if the Arizona Coyotes get off to a slow start in what will be a tough West Division.
3. Will Phil “The Thrill” be better in 2020-21?
It is fair to say that Phil “The Thrill” Kessel didn’t live up to his nickname in 2019-20, with the forward a huge disappointment in his first season with the Arizona Coyotes.
Acquired in a trade from the Pittsburgh Penguins for forward Alex Galchenyuk and prospect defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph on June 30, 2019, Kessel was meant to be the catalyst to spark a real turnaround in Arizona.
Instead, Kessel was the complete opposite of a thrill last year, putting up 14 goals and 24 assists for 38 points in 70 regular season games with a plus / minus rating of -21, while flaming out in the postseason with just 4 points (1 G, 3 A) in nine games.
It was the first time that Kessel had failed to hit at least 50 points since the 2007-08 season, his second year in the NHL, and also the first time in 12 seasons that he failed to reach the 20 goal plateau.
Not even having Taylor Hall on his wing for down the stretch appeared to help, so the burning question is, will Phil Kessel be better in 2020-21?
It is a hard one to try and work out because the Coyotes do appear as though they are on the cusp of pulling the trigger on a rebuild, with Captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson trying to create a way out of the franchise back in the offseason, while Derek Stepan was traded to the Ottawa Senators with Free Agent signing Derick Brassard effectively his replacement.
Given that Brassard was the only real notable offseason addition, coupled with the fact that there is no Taylor Hall either, there isn’t really a lot of quality around Phil Kessel, so he could be facing a very similar situation as he did during his debut season in the desert.
He’ll have to hope that someone in the ilk of Clayton Keller, Christian Dvorak or Barrett Hayton steps up to give him a legit outlet on the top line, and then hope that they can help Kessel unlock his elite offensive abilities.
If not, then it could be another long year for the Arizona Coyotes who are stuck in the West with heavyweights such as the St. Louis Blues, the Colorado Avalanche and the Vegas Golden Knights, and Phil Kessel could find himself on the trading block come the Trade Deadline should he fail to get things going with the Yotes for a second straight year.
2. What next for Oliver Ekman-Larsson?
One of the biggest stories of the offseason revolved around Arizona Coyotes Captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who waived his No-Move Clause in order to facilitate a trade to either the Boston Bruins or the Vancouver Canucks.
Alas, no trade ended up happening and it appears as though the defenseman will be a Coyote for a little while longer, with the 29-year-old since making it clear that he’s happy to be a part of the franchise.
That is all well and good, but how long will that sentiment exactly last for?
After all, and as we explored on the first page, the Coyotes appear to be a hot mess right now and new General Manager Bill Armstrong doesn’t have a lot to work with, so he could decide to execute a mass teardown in order to stock up on draft picks and really replenish the farm system which doesn’t have too many high-end prospects.
If that is the direction Armstrong decides to take then trading his Captain could be at the top of his list, given that Ekman-Larsson is carrying a cap hit of $8,250,000 through the 2026-27 season, while both the Bruins and the Canucks would probably be interested in revisiting trade talks at the Trade Deadline.
Paying over $8 million a year for a defenseman nearly in his 30’s is a lot of money for anybody, but especially for a team that could soon be a rebuilder and shifting Ekman-Larsson’s contract would not only put the Coyotes in a much better situation cap wise, but it would also get them back a boatload of picks and prospects, which is exactly what they need.
Now, granted, it would be a tough decision given that Ekman-Larsson wears the “C” on his chest and he’s good for 35-50 points a season, but the Arizona Coyotes are at a crossroads right now and trading away their franchise defenseman could lead to better times down the road, even if it does cause short-term bleeding for the front office.
1. Are the Arizona Coyotes a Playoff team?
It is time for our golden question – are the Arizona Coyotes good enough to make the postseason in 2020-21?
It is a multifaceted question that doesn’t have a simple answer and, as we’ve already explored, a full teardown of this roster may well still be on the cards.
After all, outgoing General Manager John Chayka didn’t exactly leave much behind for new GM Bill Armstrong, putting together a poorly constructed roster and also having draft picks stripped away by the league for violating the NHL’s Combine Testing Policy.
As a result, it wouldn’t be surprising if Armstrong decided to blow this roster up at the Trade Deadline and focus on building for the future, with Arizona’s farm system and assets cupboard in dire need of replenishing.
It would probably be the right decision too given that, personally, I’m not convinced that the Arizona Coyotes are good enough to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2020-21.
Phil Kessel was disappointing in his first year with the team and he will need a huge bounceback year, but there isn’t much help around him at all and, even if Kessel and the likes of Barrett Hayton and Christian Dvorak all had big seasons, I still don’t think that is enough to boost what was the 23rd ranked offense in 2019-20 (2.71).
Oliver Ekman-Larsson is the star of a blueline unit that ranked 4th in the NHL last year, allowing an average of 2.61 Goals Against Per Game, but a lot of that has to do with Darcy Kuemper who had a .928 Save Percentage and a 2.22 Goals Against Average, while Antti Raanta put together a 2.63 Goals Against Average and a .921 Save Percentage.
But the Coyotes will be stuck in the same Division as the St. Louis Blues, the Colorado Avalanche and the Vegas Golden Knights, who are all locks for the postseason, while the likes of the Minnesota Wild and the San Jose Sharks both look more talented on paper than Arizona.
If both goaltenders can stay healthy for the duration of the 56-game season, Ekman-Larsson can stay focussed and Phil Kessel can engineer a bounce back year, then there is a way for the Arizona Coyotes to make the Playoffs in 2020-21.
dark. Next. Grading the Oliver Bjorkstrand deal
But that is a hell of a lot that has to go right and, if just one or two things go wrong, then it could lead to an ugly and long rebuild under new General Manager Bill Armstrong in the desert.
Keep an eye out on Puck Prose for more of our 2020-21 NHL Season Previews in the coming days!