The Arizona Republic writes that Coyotes winger Raffi Torres can return from his reduced-sentence suspension of 21 games Feb. 2 against the Dallas Stars. The stiff penalty was a result of his hit on the Chicago Blackhawks' Marian Hossa in Game 3 of last year's first-round playoff series.
But before his return, Torres plans to meet with coaches to watch video of how he can still be a physical player without accruing punishment for it.
"I've got some things we're going to talk about before he gets back," coach Dave Tippett said. "I think there are some things he can do to make him a better player but maybe make him a little less dangerous player. He's a rugged guy. He plays hard, and that's how he's going to have to play. But there's some areas of the game we can show him where we can take some of the recklessness out of it."
Penguins forward Matt Cooke is an example of a player tagged with a string of suspensions but one who has reinvented his game to remain effective. Cooke posted a career high for goals and a career low for penalty minutes last season.
"He doesn't have the best track record like myself, but he's a player, too," Torres said. "At the end of the day, there are only a few guys out here that do one thing out there. He's obviously shown he can do a lot more."
That's the challenge that confronts Torres when he returns. He's in the final year of a contract, and the Coyotes — along with the rest of the league — will be watching to see how Torres responds.
"The game's changed a little bit the last few years," he said. "Obviously I've got to realize that, and the utmost importance these days is the safety of the other players. I don't want to go through something like that again."
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