What Your Team Is Thankful For: Arizona Coyotes
As the holiday season approaches, PHR will look at what teams are thankful for this year. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We take a look at what’s gone well in the first month and what could improve as the season rolls on.
What are the Arizona Coyotes most thankful for?
An impressive 2018 draft class.
The Coyotes have just seven points through 20 games, and have yet to win in regulation. Even with a rebuilt blue line that includes newcomers Niklas Hjalmarsson and Jason Demers, the team has allowed an incredible, league-leading 79 goals against this season. They’re now 17 points behind the Los Angeles Kings in the Pacific Division, and would need an absolute miracle to claw their way back into the playoff race.
Luckily, the 2018 draft class is shaping up to be a good one. Finishing last in the league obviously doesn’t guarantee you the first-overall pick (just ask Colorado) but it does get you into the top four. Though Rasmus Dahlin looks like a franchise-altering presence at the top, there are four or five other elite prospects with superstar potential. After trading away the seventh-overall pick this summer, it seemed like the Coyotes were done waiting on prospects. Now they might need to hitch their wagon to a new one.
Who are the Coyotes most thankful for?
The Coyotes have seen their fair share of busts over the years, but their 2016 draft looks like a good one. Jakob Chychrun has been injured all season, but made the jump to the NHL right away last year and kept his head above water. He’s expected back at some point, and will likely take on an important role on the blueline once again. But it’s Keller that is really turning heads around the league.
The seventh-overall pick from 2016 has 17 points in 20 games this season including 11 goals. That number puts him fifth in the league, and in front of the pack in terms of Calder Trophy voting (though it is anything but decided yet). His development into an All-Star talent is something every Coyotes fan can cheer about, even in what has become another dreadful season.
What would the Coyotes be even more thankful for?
A win (or two).
It’s not that the Coyotes needed to compete for the Stanley Cup this year, but after all the trading this offseason they were at least expected to improve. Last year’s club finished 30-42-10 even with Radim Vrbata as their most dangerous forward and a sale at the deadline of Michael Stone and Martin Hanzal. That club was still one of the worst in the league, but not a disaster on a nightly basis.
Hjalmarsson, Demers, Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta all cost the team young or future assets (not to mention money), and were supposed to push the team towards a playoff spot. That hasn’t happened and now they’re left scratching their heads wondering which direction to go in.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson remains the biggest target of trade speculation, as his current contract ends after next season. But who would rule out any of the veterans on this team at this point? If the season isn’t turned around quickly, the seat will get warmer and warmer for young GM John Chayka and the pressure to make a move will increase. They shouldn’t be as bad as they are, but who would fault him for planting a “For Sale” sign outside the arena near the deadline once again?
What should be on the Coyotes’ Holiday Wish List?
Needy GMs.
There’s nothing to add to the roster to make it a playoff contender at this point. One or two additions wouldn’t fix what’s ailing the Coyotes, and the front office must know it. Making more short-term moves wouldn’t help the team, so instead they’ll be wishing for a desperate contender near the deadline.
Last year, they moved a pending UFA in Hanzal for a first and second-round pick from Minnesota in a deal that the Wild regretted just a few months later. That sort of desperation is exactly what the team will hope for again this season, to try to squeeze some value out of a team in the middle of an arms race. Remember that Raanta is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, and carries just a $1MM cap hit this season.
It’s a tough thing to hope for this early in the year, but there’s not a lot more on their wish list at the moment. Chayka will be patient as their schedule eases a bit as we head into the winter, but in the desert no seats ever get truly cold.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Reaction To Duchene, Turris, 3-Team Deal
A lot of reaction has come across from sportswriters on Twitter after the three-way trade in which the Ottawa Senators got Matt Duchene, the Nashville Predators acquired a newly extended Kyle Turris and the Colorado Avalanche got Samuel Girard, Vladislav Kamenev, Shane Bowers, Andrew Hammond, Ottawa’s 2018 first-round pick (top-10 protected), Nashville’s 2018 second-round pick and Ottawa’s 2019 third-round pick. Take a look:
- Elliotte Friedman, who was the first to break the story, tweeted that Nashville is obviously cashing it all in for the 2018 season, while Ottawa quite obviously badly wanted Duchene.
- TSN’s Pierre LeBrun tweets that the Predators spoke with Turris’ camp this afternoon and had four conversations over three hours before finally agreeing on an extension.
- Ottawa Suns’ Don Brennan tweets that the Senators definitely got the best player, but they paid a steep price of two first-round picks a third-round pick and Turris to get Duchene. There was a lot of question about whether Duchene was worth all that.
- James Mirtle of The Athletic tweets general manager Joe Sakic‘s comments on the trade, “We feel this trade brings us some top prospects as we continue to build for both the short and long-term future. We’ve said all along that we wanted to be patient and wait for the right deal, and this is the opportunity we feel is best for the organization.”
- TSN’s Jason Brough writes that the real winner of the trade is Nick Bonino, who goes from being sheltered by Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin to now being sheltered by Ryan Johansen and Turris.
- Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek tweets that the hidden part of the Duchene trade is that Colorado’s, now without Duchene, will be one step closer to getting defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, currently believed to be the top prospect in the 2018 NHL Draft.
- The Tennessean’s Adam Vingan writes that the addition of Turris gives the franchise the best center depth in franchise history as Turris should fit perfectly on the team’s second line, which will force Bonino to move back to the team’s third line once he’s healthy and force Colton Sissons to center the fourth line. Calle Jarnkrok can now move to the wing.
- NHL Network’s E.J. Hradek tweets now that the Predators have locked up Johansen, Turris and Bonino at center to go with their depth on defense, Nashville should dominate the West for many years to come.
- Denver.com’s A.J. Haefele writes that while the Avalanche got a lot of good prospects, they really didn’t walk away with any blue-chip prospects. He does point out that Girard is close, but a grade on this trade still comes down to who the team drafts in the coming years with those picks.
- BSN Denver’s Adrian Dater tweets that Colorado defenseman Erik Johnson had just one thing to say about the trade. “He didn’t want to be here.” Dater adds that he believes that J.T. Compher is likely to replace Duchene as team’s second-line center.
- Postmedia’s Michael Traikos tweets that Nashville general manager David Poile doesn’t get enough credit for all his moves, including acquiring Filip Forsberg from Washington, Johansen from Columbus, P.K. Subban from Montreal and now Turris from Ottawa.
- The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch writes that while the Senators did give up a lot to get Duchene, Ottawa general manager Pierre Dorion wanted Duchene badly and refused to allow this trade to slip by the team.
- NHL.com’s Dan Rosen tweets that Girard is expected to join the Avalanche on the team’s trip to Sweden, suggesting that Girard will stay with Avalanche this season and not return to his junior team.
Snapshots: Coaches, Franson, Prospects
The morning after Halloween and the mask is coming off for some teams around the league. While Alain Vigneault and the New York Rangers stayed alive by fighting off the Vegas Golden Knights last night, seats are getting hotter for some coaches around the league. Frank Seravalli of TSN lists 13 potential hires should a team want to go in a different direction, including several very interesting names.
Along with the usual NCAA suspects like Jim Montgomery and David Quinn, Seravalli lists several options that are currently associate coaches in the league. It would be surprising to see any of them stolen away to coach a different team in the league mid-season, but don’t forget their names come springtime.
- Cody Franson has gone all the way from a professional tryout to the top pairing of the Chicago Blackhawks, as Chris Hine of the Chicago Tribune reports that he practiced alongside Duncan Keith yesterday for the team. Franson’s summer was one of the most surprising in free agency, as the 30-year old defenseman was unable to find an NHL contract for some time. Even with a rumored handshake deal with the Blackhawks, who waited until Marian Hossa could be put on long-term injured reserve before signing Franson, he will still earn just $1MM this season. The right-handed defenseman has always been a fairly productive offensive player, and has two points through three games for the Blackhawks this season.
- Jeff Marek of Sportsnet released his November prospect rankings, and there is no surprise at the top. Rasmus Dahlin continues to lead the pack in the race to be the number one pick, and his recent naming to Sweden’s Karjala Cup roster certainly won’t hurt. Marek is lower than many on Ryan Merkley of the Guelph Storm, who figures to have a broad range of rankings due to his size and defensive play. The OHL defenseman is only 5’11” 164-lbs, but has incredible offensive upside and can carry and distribute the puck as well as any prospect in the draft. With 15 points in 15 games, he has a real chance to lead all OHL defensemen in points this season (though he’ll have to quickly make up some ground on the current leader, Sean Durzi, who has been lined up at wing in the past).
Rasmus Dahlin To Play In Karjala Cup
Team Sweden released their roster for the upcoming Karjala Cup today, and Craig Button of TSN provided us a snapshot of the list. Remember, this is the tournament where Hockey Canada will send their Olympic tune-up squad and will be a sneak peek of what to expect at Pyeongchang in 2018. If your eyes spot an odd birthday in the mix, you’re not crazy. Rasmus Dahlin, born March 13th, 2000 will be heading to the tournament for his country. The 17-year old defenseman is the front-runner to be the first-overall pick in next year’s NHL draft, and fans look like they might get an up close viewing of him against international talent over the next few months.
In addition to the Kajala Cup, Dahlin seems like a lock for Team Sweden at the World Junior U20 (though he would actually qualify for the U18 tournament) and could even work his way into a spot at the Olympics. While that still seems like a long-shot, even being in the conversation at this point is ridiculous. Dahlin is seven years the junior of the next youngest Swedish defenseman on the Kajala roster, and has just Linus Soderstrom—a 21-year old goaltender drafted by the New York Islanders—and Rasmus Asplund—a 19-year old forward drafted by the Buffalo Sabres—anywhere close to his age group.
Dahlin is playing for Frolunda in the SHL currently, recording six points in his first 14 games with the professional club. Even at 17, he doesn’t look out of place playing against men sometimes twice his age. A dynamic offensive player, who has looked better in his own end and adds some physicality at times, Dahlin is a franchise-changing player that should be considered among the best defensive prospects in several years. While there is a chance he falls out of favor and loses his #1 standing next June—this draft has several incredible prospects at the top—a good showing at international tournaments will only increase his profile.
Button also provides the roster for Team Finland, which has two standout names. Miro Heiskanen and Eeli Tolvanen will both suit up for their country, just a few months after being selected in the first round of the NHL draft. Heiskanen of course went third-overall to the Dallas Stars, while Tolvanen fell all the way to 30th thanks to a late denial of his Boston College application. He eventually went to the Nashville Predators, who are likely quite pleased with their selection at the back end of the round.
Tolvanen has 23 points in 24 games for Jokerit of the KHL, setting all kinds of rookie records in the process. The 18-year old winger has immense offensive potential, and already has experience with the North American game having spent two seasons in the USHL before being drafted. Heiskanen on the other hand is playing for HIFK of the Finnish Ligga (both Jokerit and HIFK are based out of Helsinki) and has recorded eight points in eight games while providing his normal error-less two-way game. Heiskanen and Tolvanen are among the early standouts from the 2017 draft class, despite not playing in North America this season. Both should have long careers ahead of them, and will start to prove it on the international stage at the upcoming tournament.
The Karjala Cup is hosted in Sweden and Finland from November 6th to 12th.
Ryan Merkley Pushing For Top Draft Spot
We’ve discussed the draft profiles of Andrei Svechnikov and Rasmus Dahlin in the past, the two favorites to be the first-overall pick next summer in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. Both have a real shot at going at the top, thanks to dynamic offensive abilities from their respective positions.
Svechnikov is lighting up the OHL with his power-speed combination, scoring eight goals through his first eight games. Dahlin on the other hand is starring in the Swedish professional ranks, and even scored his first Champions League goal yesterday. Improbably, his defensive game looks nearly as developed as his offense, and at this point looks like a lock to play in the NHL for a long time.
While those two dominate many of the headlines early on, there are several other candidates to push for the top spot. One of them, Ryan Merkley, was profiled by Aaron Vickers of NHL.com who spoke to several scouts and teammates. The undersized defenseman has wowed spectators and coaches for years in southern Ontario, and is already showing he might be among the best players in the OHL—at 17. It won’t be surprising if Merkley leads all OHL defensemen in points this year, and he could be in for a race to the top defensive spot with Dahlin by the end of the year. Sometimes, even in the world of instant worldwide communication, the player closer to home is given a bit of a boost on draft boards. While every team will certainly have scouts attending Dahlin’s games, many front offices can attend Merkley’s games in person on a regular basis if they choose.
None of this is to say that Merkley is a lock for the top spot, or even the first few. While his ability to skate the puck out of trouble and distribute scoring chances for his teammates is incredible, he’s still listed at just 5’11” 170-lbs (which seems generous) and will always have his size working against him. While the league is slowly moving away from lumbering giants and embracing smaller skilled players, there are still some teams who would rather take the risk on a 6’1″ Jared McIsaac or 6’2″ Bode Wilde to plug into their blueline. Both are wonderful prospects in their own right, and have distinct size advantages over Merkley.
The biggest thing to take from Vickers’ profile, is how strong the 2018 draft is shaping up to be. There is a real chance a prospect like Merkley could fall to the middle of the first round, given the immense group of high-impact names that will be available. While last year had a deeper talent pool than some realize, 2018 is shaping up to be one of the best draft classes in several years, with at least a handful of players that have franchise-altering potential. Obviously many of them won’t reach that potential, but their ceilings will make for an interesting draft floor—expect teams to be very active trying to get their favorite new toy.