Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Roster Hopefuls

Kevin Connauton – The Coyotes brought him in last season via the waiver wire and gave him a two year, one-way deal worth $1MM per year back in July.  Connauton should be considered a potential favorite for a spot and his deal is cheap enough that he may not make it through waivers if they try to send him down when he returns from his knee injury.

Jakob Chychrun – The Coyotes traded up in the first round to secure Chychrun back in June.  He has been billed as a player who has the physical stature to be able to play in the NHL right away although with the depth they have, he would have to really impress in game to earn a spot.

Klas Dahlbeck – Last season was Dahlbeck’s first full NHL campaign and he held his own as their sixth defender while bringing a needed physical presence to the table.  If he doesn’t earn the seventh (or potentially eighth) spot in camp, there’s a chance he’d get plucked off of waivers.

Anthony DeAngelo – Arizona brought in the offensive-minded defender back at the draft.  He has just one pro season under his belt so more time in the minors certainly wouldn’t be a bad thing (and he is exempt from having to be waived off the roster) but if the team is looking for more offense from their back end, he could force his way into the discussion.

Jamie McBain – McBain spent most of last year as a reserve defender for the Kings and has well over 300 games under his belt.  As an experienced right shot defender (which are harder to find than those on the left side), he may garner some interest from other general managers looking to add depth if he fails to crack Arizona’s roster.

Jarred Tinordi – Last year, the Canadiens were afraid they’d lose Tinordi for nothing on waivers so they eventually flipped him to Arizona as a part of a three-way trade most remembered for its inclusion of John Scott.  If he can’t lock down a spot in camp, he may get his first exposure to the waiver wire.   Though he has struggled so far in his career, he is 6’6 and a former first round pick which could garner some interest.

Of the 12 players on this list, 10 were either acquired or signed new contracts this offseason so it’s clear that Chayka has put a lot of time and resources into reshaping Arizona’s defense corps.  The team now has plenty of depth to work with – potentially too much even.  If they have concerns about losing one or two of their extras on waivers, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the team try to work out a trade in the coming weeks to get something for that player rather than risk losing him for nothing.