John Chayka

Eastern Notes: Liljegren, Bozak, Athanasiou

July 9, 2017 at 9:01 pm CDT | by Seth Lawrence 4 Comments

Toronto’s first round pick Timothy Liljegren has impressed in development camp with his size and skill, working with Stephane Robidas. At a healthy 6’4 and after being projected to go much earlier, some Leafs fans have hoped that they might get a glimpse of the young Swede on the backend. Outside of pre-season, that doesn’t seem to be the case. In all likelihood, it seems Liljegren will be headed back to Sweden or to the Ontario Hockey League, according to his own comments on NHL.com. The Leafs’ defense is particularly deep, so it was always a long-shot to see him crack the squad. Management won’t look to rush him into a roster spot, and that seems a wise decision. Regardless of his very apparent ability, further development at a lower level will only improve his staying power in the NHL.

As mentioned in an earlier PHR post, the New York Post’s Larry Brooks mentioned Tyler Bozak as a potential target for the Rangers. But it also seems probable he could land elsewhere. Many teams are on the hunt for cheap center help, and with Toronto looking towards their future contract obligations, Bozak seems rather expendable. Pittsburgh is absolutely in need, and he would be a phenomenal fit with Phil Kessel, considering their past chemistry. Another team who is very willing to make moves at the moment is Arizona. They already stole a valuable player in Derek Stepan, but GM John Chayka seems adept in transaction and eager to engage the trade market. Adding Bozak would add some two-way ability and allow other players, such as Christian Dvorak, to slot back into more natural roles. After apparently missing out on the Matt Duchene sweepstakes, Bozak could even be a decent option for 3rd pivot in Nashville. Bozak will draw lots of attention if and/or when he is shopped.
The Red Wings are not looking to make many moves at the moment, according to Michigan Live’s Ansar Khan. The Tomas Tatar negotiations are apparently not going well. Khan believes the team could look to move him later on, but both parties expect him to play the bulk of the season before that option is considered. Andreas Athanasiou would be another option to move, but again Khan believes the team will see how well it does in battling for a post-season berth before heading in that direction. GM Ken Holland seems to be relatively content with the group he has, and with few off-season moves it could be another rough year in Detroit if certain players don’t make incredible strides.

Arizona Coyotes Not Expected To Retain Alexander Burmistrov

June 23, 2017 at 4:11 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

In a surprising turn after today’s Arizona dealings, Craig Morgan of AZ Sports reports from a scrum with GM John Chayka to not expect the Coyotes to retain Alexander Burmistrov. The young center is a restricted free agent, so presumably Morgan means that the team will not extend him a qualifying offer. The Coyotes have acquired both Derek Stepan and Nick Cousins to fill out their center position, though Burmistrov did show off his potential down the stretch last season.

After being selected off waivers from the Winnipeg Jets, Burmistrov scored 14 points in 26 games for the Coyotes and seemed to fit in as well as one could expect. He would unfortunately miss almost a month after a hit from the Bruins’ Colin Miller caused him to have to leave the ice on a stretcher. The eighth-overall pick of the 2010 draft has been a disappointment thus far in his NHL career, reaching a high of 28 points in 2011-12.

Though he played center for much of his time in Arizona, Winnipeg had nearly given up on him at that position. With a career faceoff winning percentage of 42.3%, and a still unrefined defensive game Burmistrov is a risky fit in the middle of the ice. That’s not to say he couldn’t improve, but as he turns 26 this fall it seems unlikely. He still possesses an ability to make highlight reel passes, and shows flashes of game-altering skill, but has never been able to do it on a consistent basis even in a single game. With a clear mandate from ownership to compete this season, the Coyotes can no longer waste time trying to develop failed prospects.

Arizona Coyotes Part Ways With Dave Tippett

June 22, 2017 at 10:36 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 6 Comments

In a shocking move less than 24 hours before the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, the Arizona Coyotes have parted ways with long-time head coach Dave Tippett. The team announced it was a mutual parting, and will start looking for a new coach immediately. The announcement was made by new sole-owner Andrew Barroway:

On behalf of the entire Coyotes organization, I would like to sincerely thank Tip for all of his hard work and the many contributions he made to our organization. Tip is a man of high character and we are very grateful for his leadership during his tenure as our head coach. Ultimately, we have some philosophical differences on how to build our team. Therefore, we mutually agreed that it is in everyone’s best interest to have a coaching change in order to move our franchise forward.

Tippett admits that it was a mutual decision, though the timing couldn’t be worse for the Coyotes. Not only is the draft just hours away, but every other vacancy around the NHL has already been filled. Though it comes much sooner than Patrick Roy’s unceremonious exit from the Colorado Avalanche last offseason, the announcement stings in the same fashion.

After coaching the Dallas Stars for several years, Tippett was hired by the Coyotes in September of 2009, just a month before the 2009-10 season started. At that point it had been Wayne Gretzky who had stepped down amid financial pressure from two potential buyers of the team. Tippett was hired just a few hours later, and has remained in the position ever since.

This is the third such surprising move from the Coyotes in the past week, as tenured captain Shane Doan was told he would not return and Mike Smith was traded less than two weeks after being called the team’s “rock” by GM John Chayka. Though there are obviously rational reasons for both of those moves with the team heading towards a young core, again the timing seems unfortunate.

As Craig Morgan of AZ Sports put it in a tweet:

“On eve of NHL Draft, Coyotes have no coach, no captain (yet), no president/CEO, no starting G, no No.1 C (still), no prez of hockey ops.”

The Prsident and CEO Morgan refers to was let go when Barroway bought out the minority owners earlier this month, and it is interesting that the announcements on Tippett and Doan have both come from him directly. There had been rumored differences in direction that had led to the buyout in the first place, and clearly Barroway had some strong ideas on the new path of the franchise.

So now, with Ken Hitchcock, Travis Green, Doug Weight, Bruce Cassidy, Bob Boughner and Phil Housley all securely hired away to teams around the league the Coyotes will begin a search from scratch.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Oliver Ekman-Larsson Not Available In Trade

June 7, 2017 at 8:48 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 2 Comments

Though many fans and media members alike have wondered if the Arizona Coyotes, after another disappointing season where they won just 30 games, would trade their best player and supremely talented defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, one insider has been told no chance. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet has inquired on whether or not Ekman-Larsson would be available this summer, and was told “no.” As we’ve seen before this doesn’t completely close the door—just ask P.K. Subban—but it does indicate that the Coyotes are looking to compete sooner rather than later.

Ekman-Larsson has just two seasons left on his current deal before potentially hitting the open market as a 27-year old in 2019. Currently earning just $5.5MM per season, he would certainly command a much bigger salary and likely be one of the top names on the open market (depending on what happens with Erik Karlsson and others). If the Coyotes don’t believe they can re-sign him long-term, moving him isn’t out of the question over the next few seasons. If the young group that GM John Chayka and his front office have built can mesh quickly, they could show that the future is bright with Ekman-Larsson manning the blue line for years to come. If Shane Doan does retire, the Swedish defender would likely be up for the captain’s “C” as well.

The Coyotes, likely in an attempt to sway Ekman-Larsson’s decision, recently signed his brother Kevin Ekman-Larsson out of the Swedish Allsvenskan. The younger brother is smaller and less talented than his NHL sibling, and thus has signed just an AHL contract to play with the Tucson Roadrunners next year. Trading OEL just months later seems entirely out of the question.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Evening Notes: Chayka, Boogaard, Oilers

June 5, 2017 at 8:52 pm CDT | by Seth Lawrence 4 Comments

Coyotes GM John Chayka spoke with Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports and provided decent insight into the team’s strategy headed into the summer. Chayka is the youngest general manager in the league and has become infamous for his cap management strategies. Chayka seems highly interested in acquiring a player from a team worried about losing an asset for nothing. Although many other GMs will be seeking to accomplish similar deals, Chayka looks to be relatively aggressive on this front. He tempered Mike Smith trade speculation, saying “there’s a value to our team that Mike has, being an All-Star and our rock; his value is extremely high but if someone wants to pay an even higher value for him, that’s the industry.” There is also no news as to Shane Doan’s retirement decision. Chayka emphasized the increasing urgency among all GMs as the expansion draft seems to have every organization slightly on edge.

The case for wrongful death filed against the NHL on behalf of the late Derek Boogaard has been tossed out, according to the Star-Tribune. Boogaard died at the age of 28, after a long enforcer career with the Minnesota Wild and New York Rangers. He received multiple brain injuries and relied on opioid pain killers as treatment, which led to an addiction that eventually resulted in his demise. Fighting has declined substantially over recent years in the NHL, as both the NHL and NHLPA are looking to reduce incidents of traumatic brain injury. The debate over the role of violence in the sport remains a hot-button issue, but players still generally vote in favor of fisticuffs when surveyed. That the Boogaard case has been dismissed on technicalities is a setback for safety advocates, as there is a looming lawsuit in U.S. courts which seeks to prove that the league has been reckless in its regard for player safety in relation to concussions. Whether these off-ice lawsuits will impact the next Collective Bargaining Agreement, or the way penalties are called, remains to be seen.
The NHL released the results of a fan vote for the greatest team of all time in honor of the 100 year anniversary – with the 1984-85 Edmonton Oilers taking top honors. The 1991-92 Pittsburgh Penguins came in at number two, followed by the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens.

Poll: Which Team Will Be Next To Make Stanley Cup Debut?

May 23, 2017 at 6:49 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 6 Comments

With a 6-3 win over the Anaheim Ducks in Game 6 of the Western Conference Final last night, the Nashville Predators punched their ticket to the franchise’s first ever Stanley Cup appearance. In fact, Nashville had never even advanced beyond the conference semifinals until this heroic run and now stand just four wins away from hosting the greatest trophy in sports.

A Stanley Cup berth has certainly been a long time coming for the NHL’s 27th franchise whose inaugural season took place in 1998. GM David Poile, who has been the man in charge through it all, did not qualify for the postseason for the team’s first five seasons of existence, but since 2003 the Predators have only missed the playoffs three times. With other 1990’s expansion or relocation teams having made the Final before, like the San Jose Sharks, Ottawa Senators, and Florida Panthers, and even more having won a Stanley Cup, including the Tampa Bay Lightning, Anaheim Ducks, Colorado Avalanche, and Carolina Hurricanes, many would expect that the Predators may be the last team to accomplish the feat. However, there are four teams who have yet to make it to Stanley Cup Final, the Expansion Class of 2000 – the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets, the current Winnipeg Jets, and the original Winnipeg Jets, now the Arizona Coyotes. Which of these teams will be the next to realize their dreams of playing in June?

The Minnesota Wild certainly seemed to be heading in that direction for much of this season as they had their way with the Western Conference. Although in a tough Central Division with the Cup-bound Predators, Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues, and Winnipeg Jets, Minnesota is armed with a depth and talent at every position and showed (in the regular season) that they can fight through a tough schedule. The team was able to turn goaltender Devan Dubnyk into a star, has one of the strongest defensive cores in the NHL, and has a combination up front of strong veterans like Mikko Koivu, Zach Parise, and Eric Staal and exciting young players like Mikael Granlund, Jason Zucker and Charlie Coyle. However, everything fell apart when it mattered most, as the Wild were easily bounced in the first round by the Blues. Can the Wild bounce back and, with the aid of top prospects such as Joel Eriksson Ek and Luke Kunin, make a Stanley Cup appearance in the next few years?

The Columbus Blue Jackets will be racing them for that honor. Almost mirror images of each other in 2016-17, the Blue Jackets also surprised many by dominating the Eastern Conference early in the year. At the time, the New Year’s Eve match-up between Columbus and Minnesota, both on historic winning streaks, was even touted as the game of the year. The Blue Jackets too have a stellar goalie in Sergei Bobrovsky and deep group of talented defenseman, like young game-changers Zach Werenski and Seth Jones. However, where Columbus may edge out Minnesota is in their youth up front. Although similarly successful, the Jackets were able to reach 108 points to the Wild’s 106 with a much younger forward corps. The likes of Brandon Saad, Alexander Wennberg, Boone Jenner, and Josh Anderson, plus incoming talent like Pierre-Luc Dubois and Oliver Bjorkstrand could keep Columbus in the running for a Cup longer than the Wild.

Speaking of youth, the Arizona Coyotes seem to be building something special in the desert. Question marks abound throughout the roster, such as starting goalie and a long-term partner for Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and many don’t expect the Coyotes to be contenders for several more years. However, after the rapid ascent of the Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs this season, fueled largely by under-21 talent, Arizona may be relevant sooner rather than later. Their best players are also their top prospects – Max Domi, Christian Dvorak, Brendan Perlini, Jakob Chychrun – and that’s just the beginning, as even better young talent is on its way in Clayton Keller and Dylan Strome, not to mention whoever they select with the 7th and 23rd overall picks this year. It seems inevitable that the Coyotes will be good down the road, and, regardless of whether it’s in Arizona or not, have a strong chance to host a Stanley Cup final. However, will that day come before the likes of Minnesota or Columbus can take advantage of their current success?

Finally, there’s the Winnipeg Jets. They weren’t a playoff team this year like Columbus or Minnesota and they aren’t armed with years worth of high draft picks like Arizona either. Yet, the Jets may actually be the dark horse to reach the Stanley Cup first. Winnipeg finished ninth in the Western Conference in 2016-17, tenth in 2015-16, and eighth in 2014-15, consistently hanging around as a fringe team, not truly competing for a title. That seems like it is about to change. The Jets have one of the more dangerous forward groups in the NHL with Mark Scheifele, Patrik Laine, Nikolaj Ehlers, and captain Blake Wheeler leading the charge. They also have talented defenseman in Dustin Byfuglien, Tyler Myers, and Jacob Trouba. The Jets are a deeper team than many know and this season did not have a single player over the age of 32. Next year, they’ll add ace forwards Kyle Connor and Jack Roslovic to the mix, and possibly goaltender Eric Comrie as well, all part of what The Hockey News called the top prospect system in the NHL. Given the wealth of talent on this team already, it seems strange they haven’t performed better. Throw some dynamic young players in and use some of the team’s ample cap space, and the Winnipeg Jets could be a breakout team in 2017-18.

What do you think?

Expansion Primer: Arizona Coyotes

May 23, 2017 at 4:33 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

Over the next few weeks we will be breaking down each team’s situation as it pertains to the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft. Which players are eligible, and which will likely warrant protection or may be on the block. Each team is required to submit their protection lists by 4pm CDT on June 17th. The full rules on eligibility can be found here, and CapFriendly has provided a handy expansion tool to make your own lists.

After going to the playoffs three consecutive years from 2010-12 the Arizona Coyotes have taken a sharp downturn in recent years, culminating in another disappointing season in 2016-17. They finished in 28th place with just 70 points, and unfortunately dropped all the way to seventh in the upcoming draft. Since most of their impressive assets are still very young, the team shouldn’t have much trouble protecting their future in the upcoming expansion draft. They do however have some interesting names that may be taken.

Eligible Players (Non-UFA)

Forwards:

Jamie McGinn, Tobias Rieder, Brad Richardson, Josh Jooris, Mitchell Moroz, Tyler Gaudet, Peter Holland, Brandan Troock, Jeremy Morin, Jordan Martinook, Alexander Burmistrov, Anthony Duclair, Teemu Pulkkinen

Defensemen:

Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Alex Goligoski (NMC), Connor Murphy, Luke Schenn, Kevin Connauton

Goaltenders:

Mike Smith, Louis Domingue

Notable Exemptions

Clayton Keller, Dylan Strome, Max Domi, Christian Dvorak, Lawson Crouse, Christian Fischer, Jakob Chychrun, Anthony DeAngelo, Brendan Perlini, Nick Merkley

Key Decisions

Like the Colorado Avalanche who we profiled yesterday, the Coyotes have more than enough protection slots to go around up front. Unlike the Avalanche though, who have a tough situation on defense the Coyotes will more than likely use the 7-3-1 method, allowing them to protect all of their valuable contracts.

Up front, the Coyotes amazingly have just three players signed for next season who are eligible to be taken, though several other restricted free agents will warrant protection. With seven slots, they actually have enough to even acquire another player or two without putting anything of true value at risk. Holland, Martinook, and Jooris all have shown various levels of upside in their NHL time, while others like Pulkkinen have performed well at the AHL level.

Because of the extremely few veterans signed for next season, the Coyotes actually still have some work to do. Each team needs to expose at least two forwards who are under contract for 2017-18 and played in at least 40 games this season of 70 the past two. McGinn, Rieder and Richardson are the only three who are signed, meaning another player will need a contract before the draft happens. Jooris is the most likely for this, as he doesn’t project as one of their current protected forwards but does fill the requirement.

On defense the biggest loss would likely be Schenn, the former fifth-overall pick who is now on his fourth organization without ever living up to the shut-down billing he had coming out of the WHL. If the team was worried that Vegas might take him—and there is definitely a chance the team would, seeing as he is a cheap 27-year old with more than 600 games under his belt already—and they really didn’t want that, they could go with the eight skaters method and protect four defensemen, though it seems very unlikely.

In net, Smith is a near-lock to be protected after the team refused to discuss him at the deadline despite his excellent season. GM John Chayka had this to say at the time:

We’re trying to grow, and he’s a key cog of that growth for us. Wayne Gretzky was traded. At the same time, [Smith’s] an important piece for our organization. There’s no discussion on him.

That does make Domingue an interesting option for Vegas, as the former fifth-round pick has turned in two solid seasons in part-time duty. While he doesn’t have the same immediate upside of Antti Raanta or Philipp Grubauer (two goaltenders who may also be exposed), Domingue is only 25 and costs just over $1MM for next season.

It’s important to note that Dave Bolland, Craig Cunningham and Chris Pronger, all of whom are technically still on the Arizona payroll are exempt from the draft due to their career-ending injuries. Pronger has in fact already been inducted to the Hall of Fame, and currently works for the Department of Player Safety. Pavel Datsyuk, whose rights were acquired at the draft last year is also on the books and has a no-movement clause, but will not need protection because of his expiring cap-hit and status as a retired player.

Vegas will have a chance to speak to the pending free agents for the Coyotes like any other team, and there is the possibility they could go after Radim Vrbata instead of any exposed player. Vrbata had a solid season in the desert, leading the Coyotes with 55 points. At 35 he’s clearly past his prime, but for a team that will severely lack scoring ability he may be an interesting option. Shane Doan is also a free agent as of this moment, but it seems unlikely that he would go to Vegas for the end of his career—if it’s not over already—after making it clear he only wanted a trade to a potential Stanley Cup contender at the deadline.

Projected Protection List

F Jamie McGinn
F Tobias Rieder
F Peter Holland
F Jordan Martinook
F Alexander Burmistrov
F Anthony Duclair
F Teemu Pulkkinen

D Alex Goligoski (NMC)
D Oliver Ekman-Larsson
D Connor Murphy

G Mike Smith

In all, the Coyotes sit in outstanding shape going into the expansion draft without much to lose. Since all of their highly-touted assets are still too young to be eligible, they’ve actually put themselves in a situation to acquire a player or two before the draft from a team in a worse situation.

Though they aren’t likely to compete next season, they could easily add young players to their core this summer to make their team substantially better. Like the acquisition of Crouse last summer in exchange for Bolland’s contract, or the draft-finagling to move up and get Chychrun, Chayka and the Coyotes front office is headed in the right direction. It would be surprising to not see them take advantage of their protection slots and ample cap space again over the next few weeks.

While this list reflects the roster as it is today, it could clearly change as the team makes the decision on who to extend or a deal to bring someone in. As it sits, Schenn or Domingue look like the toughest losses, which won’t really inspire much excitement among Golden Knights fans.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Offseason Keys: Arizona Coyotes

May 6, 2017 at 12:57 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

While the expansion draft is set to headline a busy NHL offseason, there are still several other storylines for each team in the months ahead. Here is a closer look at what lies ahead for the Arizona Coyotes.

2016-17 was expected to be full of rough patches for the Coyotes and that’s exactly what happened. The team integrated a plethora of young players into the lineup and while most showed considerable promise, they also showed that they’re not ready to all be counted on as core contributors right away. Arizona appears fully committed to their current direction which would seem to suggest a fairly quiet upcoming summer but there are still a few things to keep an eye on this offseason.

Arena Certainty

Unfortunately for GM John Chayka, this one is completely out of his control but it will very likely play a big role in his offseason shopping. An agreement that would have seen them move to the East Valley fell through when Arizona State University backed out and ownership is once again looking for alternatives as they are unhappy in their current location in Glendale.

Unsurprisingly, this has once again revived possible talk of relocation and that simply cannot bode well for the Coyotes’ recruitment efforts. It can’t be easy to try to get a player to sign when they can’t say with certainly how much longer they’ll be at their current arena and how much longer they may be in Arizona altogether.

While team officials are (at least publicly) optimistic that a resolution will eventually be found, Chayka and his management team have to hope that some traction is made in the weeks ahead. If not, they’ll be dealing with another hurdle when it comes to free agency in July.

Cap Creativity

Last offseason, Chayka was very creative with his cap space, adding the retired contract of Pavel Datsyuk as well as injured center Dave Bolland in an effort to add quality young talent to the organization. That also resulted in them using long-term injury reserve to stay in cap compliance despite the fact that they had one of the lowest actual payrolls in the NHL.

Datsyuk’s contract now comes off the books, as does that of Chris Pronger, who last saw NHL action in 2011-12. As a result, the Coyotes have some more space to work with that Chayka could potentially use in a similar way this offseason. The salary cap is not expected to go up by a substantial amount this summer (pending the NHLPA’s usage of their 5% inflator) which is going to create that much more of a cap crunch that Arizona could potentially capitalize on once again.

If they do opt to go that route, they would be wise to only bring in short-term contracts. While the team has plenty of room to work with now due to so many players being on entry-level deals, that won’t be the case for too long so they won’t want to potentially burden themselves down the road. That said, it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see Chayka make at least one similar move this summer as he looks to flood the organization with as big of a young core as possible.

Decisions On Veterans

Shane Doan’s situation drew a lot of attention during the season as there were rumblings that he might be open to being traded at the deadline and leave the only organization he’s ever known. He wound up staying put and is set to become an unrestricted free agent in July. There has yet to be a decision as to whether or not he wants to play another year and if the organization wants to bring him back, at least in an on-ice capacity.

Goaltender Mike Smith is another interesting case. He has two years left on his deal with a $5.67MM cap hit and has underachieved the past few years. Normally, given those two elements, he’d be perceived as tough to deal but it’s shaping up to be an offseason that could be full of goalies changing places. Several of those are change of scenery candidates and a case can certainly be made that Smith could be in a similar spot. It’s worth noting that Smith has a full no-trade clause that he would need to waive in order to be dealt.

Given that the Coyotes have a grand total of two skaters under contract that are over the age of 30 (forward Brad Richardson and defenseman Alex Goligoski), it’s likely that Chayka will look to add a couple of veteran voices either via trade or free agency as well. They’re more content than other rebuilding teams to put their key youngsters in big minute situations right away but it’s likely that they’ll still want some more experiences players in the room to act as a supporting cast on and off the ice.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Arizona Coyotes Fire Newell Brown, Doug Soetaert

April 27, 2017 at 2:00 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 1 Comment

The Arizona Coyotes have fired both assistant coach Newell Brown, and Tucson Roadrunners GM Doug Soetaert. The team has also decided not to renew the contracts for pro scouts David MacLean and Jim Roque. Brown had been with the team since 2013, and in the league as an assistant coach since 1996. The Coyotes, amid a terrible season on almost all accounts, ranked among the league’s worst in both powerplay and penalty kill. The team clearly wanted a different face for next year as they try to turn the franchise around.

Soetaert, put in charge of the Roadrunners when John Chayka was hired last summer, watched the AHL team miss the playoffs by 11 points in their first season. Prior to this year the team had been known as the Springfield Falcons—not to be confused with the current Springfield Thunderbirds, who were previously the Portland Pirates—where they had made it past the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs just once in their last 19 seasons. It’ll be even more turnover at the top next year, when a new GM will be in place.

Arizona GM John Chayka released a statement on the moves:

I’d like to thank Newell, Doug, David and Jim for their contributions to the club. They are all good people but we believe these changes are necessary in order to improve our organization. We wish them the best in the future.

It will be interesting to see where each lands, but even more interesting to see who Chayka brings in to replace them. After hiring Mike Van Ryn and Steve Potvin last summer, as development and skills coaches respectively, perhaps one of them will be on the bench next year alongside Dave Tippett. There will also be a lot of experienced NHL coaches available even after the Sabres and Panthers fill their current vacancies.

Trade Candidates: Radim Vrbata

February 27, 2017 at 6:37 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

With the trade deadline now just days away, we’re wrapping up our profiles of several players whose names are still on the trade block and are likely to be dealt by March 1st.

The Arizona Coyotes are 22-32-7 for 51 points, good enough for last place in the Pacific Division and second from the bottom in the NHL. They are in the bottom five in the league in both goals for and goals against, giving them a 29^th-ranked -48 goal differential. The team is in a complete rebuild and has needs at every position. GM John Chayka has already dealt away young defenseman Michael Stone and just last night career-Coyote center Martin Hanzal.

So anyone who notices that the Coyotes’ top scorer is 35 years old and on a one-year, $1MM deal is right to assume that he is also on his way out of town. Radim Vrbata has returned to Arizona with a bang this season, leading a club that has been desperate for goals with a team-high 31 assists and 46 points and is second only to Hanzal with 15 goals and Oliver Ekman-Larsson in power play production. For a guy past his prime who scored only 27 points last season, Vrbata has had an excellent 2016-17 campaign and, like his other productive veteran teammates, has probably earned himself a ticket out of town.

Contract

Vrbata signed a one-year deal with Arizona this summer that carries $1MM base salary. However, there are some tricky bonus features to it, especially for contenders who are tight against the cap. Vrbata can earn an additional $2.25MM in performance bonuses, and in fact has already met several benchmarks. Vrbata is already owed $500K for playing in 30 games and another $500K for scoring more than 40 points. The remaining $1.25MM is tied to postseason performance, which he is guaranteed to miss out on if he remains with the Coyotes but would almost surely cash in on if traded to a contender. If Vrbata is traded, the new team will have to account for the salary cap repercussions beyond his $1MM cap hit – pro-rated to about $225K by Wednesday’s deadline – for the remainder of the year.

2016-17

The myth surrounding Vrbata has always been that he doesn’t perform outside of Arizona. Just a quick look at his career numbers shows that is untrue. Vrbata has had strong seasons, dating all the way back to the beginning of career, in Colorado, Chicago, and most recently Vancouver. However, there is no doubt that he has enjoyed the majority of his best seasons with the Coyotes. After struggling in 2015-16, the second year of a two-year deal with the Canucks, Vrbata returned home to the desert on a one-year deal in search of comeback season. He certainly found it, as his 46 points through 61 games put him on pace to come close to his career-high 63 point total from two years ago. Yet, he’s accomplished this on one of the worst teams in the league. What leaves many teams deep in thought is whether that scoring would continue on a superior team in contention for a title or whether it is a product of the situation and system.

Season Stats

61 GP: 15 goals, 31 assists, 46 points, -14 rating, 186 shots, 17:01 ATOI

Suitors

After their three biggest competitors in the Atlantic Division acquired help today, many have begun to doubt whether the Boston Bruins can hold true to their plan to stand pat at the Trade Deadline and not risk losing picks or prospects for no reason as they did last year. Count the Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont as one of those proponents, and he believes that Vrbata would be the perfect fit for the Bruins to add another scoring threat, specifically with Ryan Spooner and Frank Vatrano on the team’s third line, now that coach Bruce Cassidy has his more offensive-minded system in place. Despite the high prices right now, Dupont speculates that a second-round selection and another pick or prospect could get the job done. The Bruins are also one of only a few contenders that doesn’t have to worry much about the cap implications of acquiring Vrbata.

However, if the price for Vrbata is what Dupont suggests it may be, teams will worry about Vrbata’s cap hit and outside-Arizona consistency later. As more and more teams make additions, other will grow more interested in one of the top scoring threats on the market. Name a contender, and they will have likely put a call in to Chayka by Wednesday’s deadline, whether it be the Washington Capitals, who could use some more speed; the Pittsburgh Penguins or Columbus Blue Jackets, who both need some depth; the San Jose Sharks, who are still sorting out their top lines; or even the Chicago Blackhawks, who seem to always be in the mix and have history with Vrbata.

Likelihood Of A Trade

After moving on from Hanzal and Stone, both of whom are younger and have spent more time with the organization in recent years, it would be odd if the Coyotes didn’t part ways with Vrbata. Besides, there is nothing stopping them from re-signing him this summer if he wants, and Vrbata seems to be one of the few NHL players, along with teammate Shane Doan, who really enjoy playing in Arizona. Despite their immense depth in prospects, the Coyotes still have needs throughout the lineup and are in no position to hold on to trade-able assets for no reason. This team is still in full rebuild mode and will almost surely take whatever picks and prospects they can get for Vrbata, a fitting end to a rewarding one-year deal in 2016-17.

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