The 2018-19 NHL season begins Oct. 3. With training camps open, NHL.com is taking a look at the five keys, the inside scoop on roster questions, and the projected lines for all 31 teams. Today, the Arizona Coyotes.
Coach: Rick Tocchet (second season)
Last season: 29-41-12; eighth place Pacific Division
5 KEYS
1. Galchenyuk's role
Alex Galchenyuk was acquired in a trade from the Montreal Canadiens for forward Max Domi on June 15 to boost the offense for the Coyotes, who finished 30th in the NHL in scoring last season (2.51 goals per game). Last season, he had 19 goals and 51 points, which would have ranked second and third on Arizona last season.
Galchenyuk, 24, played mostly wing with Montreal in the past six seasons but will be given a chance at center on the second line. The hope is he rediscovers his touch from 2015-16, when he scored an NHL career-high 30 goals.
2. Improving on special teams
In addition to their scoring woes, the Coyotes were not effective on special teams. They finished 26th in the NHL on the power play (16.9 percent) and 19th on the penalty kill (79.5 percent). In the past three seasons, Arizona hasn't finished higher than 20th on the power play and did not finish higher than 26th on the penalty kill in the four seasons prior to 2017-18.
Galchenyuk should help the power play; his nine goals and 24 points on the power play would've led Arizona last season. Forward Michael Grabner, who was signed as a free agent July 1, could help the penalty kill; he has scored 15 shorthanded goals in nine NHL seasons.
3. Strome's impact
The time is now for Dylan Strome, the No. 3 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft. The forward had nine points (four goals, five assists) in 21 games last season, when he split time with the Coyotes and Tucson in the American Hockey League (53 points in 50 games).
Strome, 21, has produced in the AHL and with Erie of the Ontario Hockey League (129 points in 2014-15; 111 points in 2015-16). Now it's time to produce at the NHL level.
4. Raanta's resurgence
Goalie Antti Raanta dealt with injuries early but went 21-17-6 in 47 games last season, his first in Arizona, setting NHL career highs for wins and games played. He had the second-best save percentage (.930) and was tied for second in goals-against average (2.24) among NHL goalies who played at least 20 games.
The Coyotes are hopeful a Raanta will stay healthy and help them compete for a playoff spot.
"When I got healthy and we were playing the way we were playing the second half of the season, it just felt we were on the right track, we were doing something right," Raanta said Sept. 8. "You had the feeling inside of you that we could build something special."
5. Keller in his second season
What will Clayton Keller do for an encore? The 20-year-old forward was tied for first on the Coyotes in assists (42; Derek Stepan) and led them in goals (23) and points (65) as a rookie last season, when he finished third in voting for the Calder Trophy. After mostly playing on the top line, will there be less pressure on Keller to repeat his production after the additions of Galchenyuk and Grabner plus a logjam at forward?
ROSTER RUNDOWN
Making the cut
There likely will be a training camp battle for two spots on the bottom line among Lawson Crouse, Nick Cousins, Mario Kempe and Josh Archibald. Crouse, 21, took a step back last season, scoring one goal in 11 games after playing in 72 games with Arizona in 2016-17. Cousins, 25, had NHL career highs in goals (12) and points (19) in 71 games last season. Kempe, who turns 20 on Sept. 19, had four points (two goals, two assists) in four games last season. Archibald, 25, played three games for the Coyotes last season.
On defense, the top six returns from last season (Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Jason Demers, Alex Goligoski, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Jakob Chychrun, Kevin Connauton). The remaining defensemen on the roster from 2017-18 played a combined 18 games. Jordan Oesterle, acquired with Vinnie Hinostroza in a trade from the Chicago Blackhawks on July 12, could be the seventh defenseman after he had NHL career highs in goals (five) and points (15) in 55 games last season.
Most intriguing addition
Although Grabner is a speedy forward and his addition should help increase scoring, he'll play every day, meaning there will be one fewer spot for one of the younger forwards (Kempe, Archibald, Crouse).
Biggest potential surprise
Hinostroza could be a second-line wing playing with Galchenyuk. He had NHL career highs in goals (seven), assists (18) and points (25) in 50 games with the Blackhawks last season, but the 24-year-old could be in line for a big offensive season as an everyday player.
Ready to break through
Christian Dvorak has scored 15 goals in each of the past two seasons and had an NHL career-high 37 points in 78 games last season. The 22-year-old center is entering his third season in the NHL, and Arizona would like to see the kind of offensive production he had with London of the Ontario Hockey League from 2014-16, when he scored 230 points (93 goals, 137 assists) in 125 games.
PROJECTED LINEUP
Richard Panik -- Derek Stepan -- Clayton Keller
Brendan Perlini -- Alex Galchenyuk -- Vinnie Hinostroza
Dylan Strome -- Christian Dvorak -- Christian Fischer
Lawson Crouse -- Brad Richardson -- Michael Grabner
Oliver Ekman-Larsson -- Jason Demers
Alex Goligoski -- Niklas Hjalmarsson
Jakob Chychrun -- Kevin Connauton
Antti Raanta
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