After the NHL Draft, free agency and other offseason moves, NHL.com is taking a look at where each team stands. Today, the Arizona Coyotes:
The Arizona Coyotes believe their 17-12-3 record after the 2018 NHL All-Star Game is a better indicator of things to come than their 29-41-12 overall record last season. The Coyotes have played one season in coach Rick Tocchet's fast-paced system, their top six defensemen return, and Antti Raanta had the second-highest save percentage among NHL goaltenders who played at least 32 games (.930), behind Carter Hutton for the St. Louis Blues (.931).
Arizona's biggest concern heading into the offseason was scoring after finishing 30th in the NHL in goals in 2017-18 (2.51 per game). To increase production, the Coyotes acquired forward Alex Galchenyuk from the Montreal Canadiens in a trade for forward Max Domi and signed forward Michael Grabner as an unrestricted free agent.
The Coyotes also locked up top defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson with an eight-year contract extension, a move general manager John Chayka called "a huge moment for our entire organization."
Arizona has not qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs since the 2011-12 season.
Here is what the Coyotes look like today:
Key arrivals
Alex Galchenyuk, F: Arizona believes it added a top-six center when it traded for Galchenyuk on June 15. Galchenyuk's 255 points (108 goals, 147 assists) are tied with Nashville Predators forward Filip Forsberg for the most of any player selected in the 2012 NHL Draft. Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin and coach Claude Julien felt Galchenyuk was more effective on the wing, but Chayka and Tocchet disagree with that assessment and will give Galchenyuk, 24, a chance to play center on the second line. He scored 30 goals playing center in 2015-16. … Michael Grabner, F: The Coyotes signed Grabner to a three-year contract July 1. He has scored 27 goals each of the past two seasons and has 158 goals in 553 NHL games. His 51 even-strength goals over the past two seasons are tied for eighth in the NHL, but 11 of his 54 goals in that span were into an empty net. Tocchet expects Grabner, who turns 31 on Oct. 5, to play on the third line. … Marcus Kruger, F: Arizona acquired Kruger, along with a third-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, in a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes on May 3 for forward Jordan Martinook and a fourth-round pick in 2018. Kruger, 28, could play center on the fourth line and get time on the penalty kill.
Key departures
Max Domi, F: The No. 12 pick in the 2013 draft, Domi scored 18 goals as a rookie in 2015-16 but slipped to nine each of the past two seasons. … Jordan Martinook, F: A top penalty-killer and favorite of former coach Dave Tippett, Martinook averaged 14:01 of ice time under Tocchet, 1:40 less than he did the previous season for Tippett. … Luke Schenn, D: When Arizona re-signed third-pair defenseman Kevin Connauton to a two-year contract June 27, Schenn became expendable. He signed a one-year contract with the Anaheim Ducks on July 1 as a UFA. Schenn played 64 games and was fifth in total ice time among Coyotes defensemen last season (1,048:36) because of injuries to Jakob Chychrun and Niklas Hjalmarsson.
On the cusp
Lawson Crouse, F: Crouse, 21, appeared to establish himself in the NHL in 2016-17, when he played 72 games for Arizona, but he played in 11 last season and needs to prove he can be a full-time player. He spent the majority of last season with Tucson of the American Hockey League (56 games). He is expected to play left wing on the fourth line and give the Coyotes a physical presence after the departures of Schenn and forward Zac Rinaldo. … Dylan Strome, F: Strome, 21, selected by Arizona with the No. 3 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, also spent the majority of last season with Tucson (50 games). He had three goals and five assists in 10 games for the Coyotes after being recalled March 20. Arizona must decide where he fits in a lineup that already has Galchenyuk, Kruger, Derek Stepan, Christian Dvorak and Brad Richardson at center.
What they still need
The Coyotes do not know whether Strome, Richardson, Mario Kempe, Josh Archibald or another player will fill a top-six forward role on the wing, where they could use more scoring. Tucson forward Nicholas Merkley's injury-plagued 2017-18 season likely removes him from the mix, and no other prospects are ready to make the jump. Chayka may have one more move in the works.
Fantasy focus
Arizona has not traditionally been a source of fantasy star power, but it suddenly has three players ranked among the fantasy top 100 overall: forward Clayton Keller (ranked 84th by NHL.com), Raanta (87th) and Ekman-Larsson (94th). If you're not comfortable reaching for any of the Coyotes' top three players that early, you should be able to land one of their projected top two centers in the 14th round or later of a 12-team fantasy draft. Galchenyuk had an NHL career-high 24 power-play points last season for Montreal despite top defenseman Shea Weber (26 games played) and left wing Max Pacioretty (64) missing significant time, and Stepan quietly had 56 points (14 goals, 42 assists) on the top line and first power-play unit alongside Keller. -- Pete Jensen
Projected lineup
Richard Panik -- Derek Stepan -- Clayton Keller
Brendan Perlini -- Alex Galchenyuk -- Dylan Strome
Michael Grabner -- Christian Dvorak -- Christian Fischer
Lawson Crouse -- Marcus Kruger -- Nick Cousins
Oliver Ekman-Larsson -- Jason Demers
Alex Goligoski -- Niklas Hjalmarsson
Jakob Chychrun -- Kevin Connauton
Antti Raanta
Darcy Kuemper
