2012-13 record: 21-18-9 (51 points)
Missed the playoffs
Captain: Shane Doan
The Phoenix Coyotes' financial troubles finally caught up to them, as they missed the playoffs last season after making it the previous three years. However, the Coyotes received good news this off-season, as ownership was finally settled days after it was announced that the Coyotes would be staying in Arizona for the foreseeable future. This bit of news is good for a Coyotes team that has operated on egg shells for much of the last ten years and in turn, may finally lead to sustained success. First, though, the Coyotes need scoring, and that responsibility will now fall on Mike Ribeiro, who was the first significant signing by the new ownership. His 49 points last season would have bested the Coyotes' leading scorer last season (Keith Yandle) by 19, and given the recent struggles of the Coyotes to score, it will be up to the likes of Yandle and Oliver Ekman-Larsson to lead the way from the blue line once again. It will help that Radim Vrbata is healthy, as he missed time due to injury and that the Coyotes finally have something resembling a top-tier talent in Ribeiro. Defensively, the team had an off-year, but they remain a fairly deep group that has both Brandon Gormley and David Rundblad waiting to join the team. Mike Smith will look to rebound after an off-year, and with a new contract and injury issues from last year behind him, he should thrive once again in the defensive-oriented system.
Prospects: Gormley and Rundblad are the most likely players to start the season with the team. However, on a team with the depth the Coyotes have at the blue line, either or both could be forced to wait until in-season before their respective promotions. Offense remains an issue, but there isn't a player truly ready to take the leap, as both Max Domi and Henrik Samuelsson are still at least a year away.
Prediction: 5th in the Pacific Division
The Coyotes now have something they didn't have for years: stability in the organization. However, offense remains an issue, and it will be up to the defense to once again, carry the day. They've done it this way before, so a playoff shot isn't out of the question.
No comments:
Post a Comment