The Arizona Coyotes are one of the more impressive teams in the Western Conference so far this season. They have been significantly better than anybody could have thought.
After their 2-0 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Friday, their 2023 slate of games is over. They weren’t very good to end last season but they have been great all of this season. They ended last year 28-40-14. To go from that to the playoffs in one year would be very impressive.
They should be thrilled with how things have turned around for them this calendar year. They have been playing their games at Mullett Arena, a small rink for an NHL team, but they will be in a new building soon.
Right now, they are 19-14-2 which is good for 40 points. They are currently holding the second Wild Card spot in the conference. That is not bad for a team that has been lousy for a long time.
The Arizona Coyotes are actually a very good team entering 2024.
When the year flips to 2024, they will look back fondly on what they continued to build in 2023. Guys like Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, Lawson Crouse, and Matias Maccelli have all been incredible.
They also convinced Logan Cooley to leave NCAA hockey and come to the NHL. He has been one of the best rookies in the league so far this year. They are fast, young, and exciting and Cooley is a huge part of it.
Arizona's goaltending is also very good right now. Connor Ingram has 13 wins, a 2.49 goals against average, and a .919 save percentage as their main starter. As their backup, Karel Vejmelka has a 3.01 goals against and a .902 save percentage.
Will the Yotes be buyers at the deadline? Well, one can only hope. It would be thrilling to see this team add more talent and make a run for the playoffs. Their fans deserve it. They are going to be good for a long time so they might as well try to add some experience now. It could be helpful down the line.
Arizona will kick off the 2024 portion of the schedule on Tuesday when they take on the Florida Panthers. Mullett Arena is in for a treat with these two teams to meet up. They play an incredible brand of hockey that is fun to watch.