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John Chayka

Snapshots: General Manager Hot Seat, Cholowski, Cullen

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With many teams starting to see the writing on the wall that their season is coming to a close sooner than they had intended, the next question that comes about is whether the team has any intentions of making changes to their staff. After a look at possible changes to the coaching ranks, the next question would likely turn to which general managers are on the hot seat. The Athletic’s James Mirtle (subscription required) takes a look at 10 candidates who could find themselves without a job this offseason.

Mirtle quickly addresses the obvious ones, including Detroit’s Ken Holland and Toronto’s Lou Lamoriello, both who have been rumored to either be on their way out or moved to a different role within the organization. However, Mirtle also admits that both could easily stay in their present roles too.

The next stage of general managers that are most likely on the hot seat include Peter Chiarelli of Edmonton, the New York Islanders Garth Snow and Montreal’s Marc Bergevin, while other general managers might be given more time to prove to the organization that their plan works. Colorado’s Joe Sakic, Arizona’s John Chayka, Minnesota’s Chuck Fletcher and Columbus’ Jarmo Kekalainen are all likely to be on short leashes due to their inability of taking their teams to a new level.

  • Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press writes that while 2017 first-round pick Michael Rasmussen might make the Detroit Red Wings team next season, the real prospect to keep an eye on will be 2016 first-round pick Dennis Cholowski, whose having a stellar year with both the Prince George Cougars and the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL. The 20-year-old blueliner is in his final year of junior and has 14 goals and 50 assists this year. St. James writes that while Rasmussen must make the Red Wings roster out of training camp to stick, Cholowski could play with the Grand Rapids Griffins in the AHL and get a midseason callup if he can’t break into the Red Wings lineup.
  • StarTribune’s Sarah McLellan writes that the NHL Players Association released a players poll this week and for the question of which player would make great coach after they retire. Minnesota’s Matt Cullen won the poll. He received 4.5 percent of the votes, yet Cullen hasn’t decided if that’s the avenue he plans to go down. “I’ve never really put a lot of thought into it, to be honest,” Cullen said. “I guess I’ve had a lot of experience, and I’ve been through a lot through a long career, I guess. Truthfully, I’ve never thought a lot about it. I don’t know. I’m not sure what I’ll do when I’m done playing.”

Coyotes Unlikely To Make Major Move By The Trade Deadline

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With Arizona sitting dead last in the standings league-wide, it would be reasonable to think that GM John Chayka may be looking to shake things up.  However, he told Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports that this isn’t likely to be the case:

“I’ve had numerous discussions on a lot of different players. If there’s a chance to make our team better I’ll do it, but in the past there was a lot of need for guys to get a fresh start or to infuse youth. There were some underlying changes we were trying to make. I don’t think that’s the case any longer.

“I think the core players are in place and they need some time and some experience surrounded by the right players. We’ve got some pieces in place that we like. Now, we’re just seeing if there are some things we can tweak to try and improve. There is nothing underlying that I think needs a significant change.”

While the Coyotes may inevitably need more than tweaks, Chayka may also prefer to wait until the offseason to make his more significant changes.  That was the case over the summer when he added center Derek Stepan and defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson in a pair of significant draft day deals.  His statement should also pour more cold water over the notion of moving defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, an idea that continues to linger despite Chayka dismissing the idea earlier this season.

One player that Arizona will have to make a decision on soon is goaltender Antti Raanta.  The pending unrestricted free agent could be one of the more prominent goalies to move in the next month but that’s only if they’re unable to agree on a contract extension.  Chayka stated in an interview with Arizona Sports (audio link) that they are going to start having conversations soon regarding a new deal but that he doesn’t believe there is any urgency to get something done.  Raanta is making just $1MM and will undoubtedly be seeking a much larger salary on his next contract.

Beyond their Finnish netminder, the Coyotes have a handful of other unrestricted free agents but they would be more depth acquisitions for contending teams and not ones that will add to or change Arizona’s core.  Among those is center Brad Richardson who, despite being classified as week-to-week back on January 25th due to an upper-body injury, skated with the team yesterday and could be ready to play on Thursday night against Dallas.

Quotable: Coyotes GM John Chayka On Struggles, Tocchet

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Despite making several big additions over the summer, the Arizona Coyotes have continued to struggle this season and find themselves dead last overall in the NHL with just 23 points in the first half.  Despite that, GM John Chayka told Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports that although he’s unhappy with the results, he’s pleased with the direction of the team:

“I’m satisfied with the way we draft, the way we develop, the way we scout, the way we coach, the way we teach. A lot of the stuff we’re doing off the ice is important and I think those things are all trending in the right direction, but it’s like a battleship. It takes a battleship a little while to turn. Once we get things squared away and are moving in the right direction, it will move that way for a long time.”

Nov 9, 2017; St. Louis, MO, USA; Arizona Coyotes center Clayton Keller (9) handles the puck during shootouts against the St. Louis Blues at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY SportsArizona has certainly had a lot of young players developing at the NHL level in recent years.  Forwards Clayton Keller, Max Domi, Christian Fischer, and Brendan Perlini are all 21 or younger and are regular players while Lawson Crouse, who is only 20, was a regular for most of last season.  Keller, in particular, has played very well this season, leading the Coyotes with 32 points.  Defenseman Jakob Chychrun is a key piece on their back end and is still just 19.

While most of those players could be viewed as success stories, it hasn’t been all good news.  Center Dylan Strome has been dominant at the AHL level this season (30 points in 19 games) but that hasn’t translated to much in the way of NHL success over a couple of stints with Arizona this year where he has just a single tally in 11 contests.  He’s still just 20 himself but as the third overall pick back in 2015, it’s safe to say that his development has not progressed as anyone would have hoped for so far.

Chayka pointed out to Morgan that over the past two years, the average age of Arizona’s top-five scorers has dropped by ten years from 33 to 23 which is certainly quite the drastic overhaul.

With the team scuffling even more than they were last year under Dave Tippett, some have questioned whether Rick Tocchet is still the right fit as head coach.   Chayka voiced his support for his bench boss while putting some pressure on his own shoulders at the same time:

“There’s a certain mindset and approach and mentality that goes into playing to win in this league and Rick is a guy who has done it at the highest level and done it for a number of years.

“In fairness to him as a manager, I think we can do a better job of getting him some more talent and putting them in the right positions to have success. Sometimes, when you look up and as a manager you’re evaluating it, there’s not a right solution to the problem you see, so he tries different things. Some of them might work; some of them might not, but in terms of his philosophy for how to play the game, I think we’re completely aligned. I do think he’s playing to their strengths and that’s something I want to see and do see. Once I get him some better players he’ll continue to be a better coach.”

Given where they are in the standings, it’s hard to imagine Arizona doing anything but selling at the trade deadline which will make it difficult for Chayka to add better players, at least in the short-term.  However, considering his willingness to make some bold moves last summer when he acquired Derek Stepan, Antti Raanta, and Niklas Hjalmarsson in a pair of trades, it will be interesting to see if he’s willing to do so again or if they take a swing in free agency.  Otherwise, if the hope is simply that another year of development from their young core will help them take a big step forward, they may be in for some more tough times beyond 2017-18.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Injury Notes: Blackhawks, Coyotes, Flames

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While the most notable injury concern for Chicago is and will continue to be goaltender Corey Crawford, the struggling Blackhawks made other health-related transactions today. The team announced that defenseman Cody Franson, out since early December with an upper-body injury, has been activated and, in a corresponding move, forward Artem Anisimov has been placed on injured reserve with an upper-body issue of his own. While Franson will be a welcome addition to the blue line, the long-term loss of Anisimov will be felt much more. The Blackhawks have struggled on offense this season; they are a middling team in goal-scoring and one of the league’s worst power play producers. Forward depth, particularly down the middle, has been a cause for concern and that was prior to Anisimov’s absence. Although ten points behind the Nashville Predators in the Central Division, Chicago is not that far out from the Western playoff picture. However, that could change if the extended sidelining of Anisimov leads to even greater issues on offense on top of the already serious situation in net.

  • Although severely strapped for cap space, the Blackhawks are certainly looking around for ways to bring some depth into the fold. One option that can be cast aside for now is veteran Arizona Coyotes winger Brad Richardson. CapFriendly reports that Richardson has been placed on injured reserve after  he was forced out of the ’Yotes game against the Colorado Avalanche last Saturday with an upper-body injury. As the worst team in the NHL currently, Arizona is surely welcoming offers for their impending unrestricted free agents (and then some). It’s not a long list of soon-to-be-departing players, but the useful, two-way forward Richardson is at the top. His injury history could definitely scare away some suitors though and the Coyotes may have a tough time moving him until he has returned to full strength following his stay on IR.
  • There’s finally an update on the condition of Michael Frolik after the dependable forward took a shot to the face early in Calgary’s game against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, but it’s not what Flames fans were hoping to hear. Frolik left the game and did not return and, as it turns out, the shot fractured his jaw and knocked out several teeth. While he has yet to be formally placed on the injured reserve, head coach Glen Gulutzan opined that Frolik was “week-to-week” with no time table for a return. Frolik’s absence will have major repercussions on the lineup, not only due to the underrated winger’s ability, but also the team’s dire lack of right wingers. The forward lines are set to undergo major changes until Frolik is healthy enough to return to action.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Arizona Coyotes

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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.

"<strongWho are the Coyotes most thankful for? 

Clayton Keller.

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

Morning Notes: Price, Soshnikov, GMs

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Carey Price says he would be in the lineup if tonight’s Montreal Canadiens game was a playoff contest. Price hasn’t played since suffering a lower-body injury in warm-up before the Canadiens’ November 2nd game, and doesn’t have a clear timeline yet.

Skating by himself once again, he’ll need to rejoin the team in practice before suiting up for a game. That slow process is being helped by the play of Charlie Lindgren, who now carries a .964 save percentage through his four starts. The 23-year old Lindgren looks ready to take on at least a backup role in the NHL, which will complicate things with Al Montoya when all three goaltenders are back to full health. Montoya is under contract through next season, but has played poorly in his small sample this year.

  • Nikita Soshnikov was called up to the Maple Leafs earlier today because of his KHL clause that would have allowed him to return to Russia, but Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reports that the team isn’t out of the woods in that respect just yet. The clause allows Soshnikov to request a loan to the KHL at any future point this season if they try to send him back down. That, along with the fact that he’ll become waiver-eligible after playing in three games, complicates things for the Maple Leafs. While Soshnikov has done little offensively in his 67 NHL games (14 points), he is off to a fast start in the AHL this season at nearly a point-per-game pace.
  • Sean McIndoe of Sportsnet breaks down the current GMs that are feeling the heat, listing four among the “Smoke, sparks and fire alarms” group. One of those members, John Chayka of the Arizona Coyotes wouldn’t have been considered in trouble a year ago when the team was going through a slow rebuild. That was accelerated this summer when they made some supposed win-now moves like bringing in Derek Stepan and Niklas Hjalmarsson, but it hasn’t paid off at all. The Coyotes have still yet to win a game in regulation, and look even further away from contention than they did before giving up the seventh-overall pick this summer.

Jakob Chychrun “Progressing Well”, Expected Back This Season

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When young Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun underwent knee surgery earlier this month, the timeline for his return was “indefinite” and there was fear that he could miss the entire 2017-18 season. Even when new head coach Rick Tocchet indicated that Chychrun was sure to return this season, there was still skepticism. Now, Arizona Sports’ Craig Morgan has heard from GM John Chayka that the sophomore rearguard’s injury is “definitely not season-ending”.

In speaking with Chayka, Morgan reports that Chychrun is “progressing really well” and that his high-end strength and conditioning has made for an expedited rehab and recovery period. Chayka did not give any details on the nature of the injury, but did day that it is very unlikely that Chychrun would be ready for the beginning of the season. It would be more like a miracle, given the extensiveness of the surgery mere weeks ago, but Chayka seemed optimistic that Chychrun would return much earlier than in most cases.

In the meantime, Chayka mentioned that 2016 AHL All-Star Kyle Wood is the early favorite for Chychrun’s roster spot and would likely fill the seventh defenseman role. This seemingly confirms that off-season addition Adam Clendening will be made a starter to begin the campaign. Chayka also mentioned that AHL veterans Joel Hanley and Andrew Campbell would be given a look and that the team is actively looking into securing a professional tryout with one or two available blue liners. Dennis Wideman, John-Michael Liles, and Fedor Tyutin lead the list of capable veteran defenseman who may be intrigued by a PTO with Arizona. The Coyotes are swimming in forward depth with many promising prospects ready to make the jump, but the same cannot be said on defense. Even with the additions of Clendening and Niklas Hjalmarsson and the eventual return of Chychrun, a PTO could turn into a major role for the right player.

Options For Coyotes At Lacking Right Wing

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By all accounts, the Arizona Coyotes are still a re-building club without much for expectations in 2017-18. However, at some point this team needs to take the next step and to do so the club needs to develop their many talented, young players as best as possible. For that reason, the incredulous lack of right-shots and experienced right wingers on the Arizona roster presents a substantial problem. In an article on the biggest issues facing each of Arizona’s sports teams, Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports opines that the Coyotes’ right wing depth is a major obstacle. With so few options, the team would be forced to move young players out of position or field unbalanced lines for the purposes of making the right wing position make sense. Instead, Morgan suggests that the roster still needs “tinkering”, with an outside addition going a long way to balancing out the team.

Morgan certainly is not exaggerating the problem that the Coyotes have on the right side. The only right-handed shot guaranteed to make the roster is newly-acquired top center Derek Stepan. Beyond him, Arizona could end up fielding an entire forward corps of lefties. Morgan mentions 20-year-old Christian Fischer as a near lock for one of the right-wing spots, given that he is likely the only natural right winger with the NHL ability in the organization right now. Fischer skated in seven games with the Coyotes last year, scoring three goals, and put up big numbers in the AHL as well. He looks primed for a full NHL campaign and the team’s lack of right wing options only helps to solidify his chances of making the roster. Young forwards Jens Looke and Nick Merkley are also righties with right wing experience, but what they lack is North American pro experience and seem better suited for a season in Tuscon, at least early on. So who fills the final three spots? Although he is a lefty, Tobias Rieder has fared well on the right side for much of the past few seasons in Arizona and will likely resume his role on the off wing in 2017-18. Brad Richardson and Anthony Duclair have routinely played on the off side in their careers as well, but with Richardson’s health still in question and Duclair coming off a disappointing season and has yet to re-sign, so relying on either, nevertheless both, is a risk for the ’Yotes. That leaves Arizona with the option of moving young lefties like Brendan Perlinin, Lawson Crouse, or Nick Cousins to the left side or giving veteran wash-ups like Emerson Etem, Michael Latta, or Mike Sislo a regular job. Neither of those avenues seem to be the best fit for the Coyotes.

Instead, GM John Chayka may be looking to fill the void with a new addition. A couple obvious names pop up as right side options still available on the free agent market, as Arizona could simply fill the hole left by veteran scorer Radim Vrbata with another veteran scorer like Thomas Vanek or Jaromir Jagr. The team said goodbye to the face of the organization, Shane Doan, this summer, so it is fair to be skeptical of them bringing in another aging player. However, Vanek and Jagr offer a scoring touch that Doan hasn’t had of late and that others like Jarome Iginla or Brian Gionta may not bring. If the Coyotes are going to take a roster spot away from a young player, even if it is to fill a notable absence, it will need to be someone ready to contribute. Younger veterans with more gas in the tank like Alex Chiasson or P-A Parenteau would make some sense as well. A trade, even at this point in the off-season, is always a possibility for Chayka as well. The Coyotes young GM has showed a willingness to take on bad contracts and a propensity for winning those trades as well. The cap-strapped Toronto Maple Leafs may be willing to give up a pick or prospect alongside Joffrey Lupul to remove that contract, especially when Lupul appears to be moving closer to playing health, while the Detroit Red Wings also need to move some salary at some point soon.

There are options aplenty for the Coyotes on the right side, but the question remains whether they see 2017-18 as yet another stepping stone campaign or a season where they can actually compete. It if it’s the former, then the team may hesitate to add another contract with so many young forwards eager for play time (even on their off side), but the latter would require another body at right wing. The decision belongs to Chayka an his staff, but there appears to benefits all around to adding another body to compete at right wing.

Jordan Martinook Re-Signs With Arizona

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The Arizona Coyotes and two-way forward Jordan Martinook have avoided arbitration, coming to terms on a new deal today. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Martinook has signed a two-year, $3.6MM deal to remain in the desert. The two sides have reportedly been close on contract terms for a while, but there was also speculation that Martinook would wait for his arbitration hearing this Wednesday, July 26th, before making a decision. Instead, the big forward has signed on for two more years with the promising young Coyotes, where he could soon take on a larger role for the team.

Martinook, in just his second full NHL season, has already shown that he is a model of consistency and effort. Capable of playing both center and left wing, Martinook is the perfect versatile bottom-six forward. He plays a smart two-way game, including leading the Coyotes’ penalty kill unit, and brings a physical edge and swift defensive style. He can also put up some offense, with 24 and 25 points respectively in his first two full seasons, including 11 goals in 2016-17.

The 24-year-old Martinook is just beginning to show his NHL upside, and should take on a much larger role for Arizona going forward. Amazingly, with Shane Doan and Radim Vrbata now gone, Martinook is second only to Tobias Rieder in games played with Arizona among forwards on the team with just 166 contests. The absence of those veterans will naturally allow for more ice time and scoring opportunity for Martinook, but as full-effort player and one of the longest-tenured forwards on a young term, Martinook could also be in line for a leadership position in the locker room. At just $1.8MM per year for a well-rounded player about to take the next step in his development, GM John Chayka and the Coyotes may have a bargain on their hands with Martinook’s new contract.

Arizona Coyotes Make Front Office Changes

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The Arizona Coyotes have named Steve Patterson as the team’s newest President and CEO, while adding President of Hockey Operations to GM John Chayka’s title. Patterson replaces the outgoing Anthony LeBlanc that moved on after selling his share of the team to the now sole-owner Andrew Barroway along with all of the other minority owners. Barroway released a statement along with the announcement:

We are very pleased to name Steve as our new President and CEO. Steve has a wealth of experience and has served as an innovative and successful executive in the NFL, NBA, professional hockey, professional baseball and college athletics for over 30 years. He’s built championship teams and organizations and has managed stadiums, ballparks and arenas across the United States. Most importantly, he previously worked in our market and has the necessary corporate and political relationships to help us secure a long-term home for the Coyotes in the Valley. We’re thrilled to have him join us.

Patterson has worked with the Houston Texans, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers, University of Texas, Arizona State University and other professional and amateur sports franchises. His experience in finding new stadiums and arenas is paramount to the Coyotes franchise, as they look for a new home and a real solid foundation to keep them in Arizona into the future. That search has been ongoing for years, and is clearly not working in their current situation of playing in Glendale.

Earlier this year, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman wrote in a letter that the team “cannot and will not” remain in Glendale much longer, and since then there has been plenty of speculation about a potential relocation. Now with a sole owner and an extremely experienced and competent Patterson on board, the Coyotes seem to be positioned better than they have been in quite some time. That doesn’t mean they are guaranteed to stay in the desert, as it’s still an extremely difficult market to succeed in, but with a clear directive to compete this season—trades for Niklas Hjalmarsson, Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta signal an end of any tear down or tank—and new leadership they will try to force themselves into the market in a way rarely seen since their move from Winnipeg.

That focus on winning will come with a new head coach after the hiring of Rick Tocchet to lead the team, and a clear voice at the top of hockey operations in the 28-year old Chayka. After moving Dave Tippett out, Chayka will continue to try and build a winner through a blend of analytics and heavy scouting presence. With young players like Max Domi, Christian Dvorak and Dylan Strome expected to take another step forward the Coyotes could find themselves crawling out of the basement as soon as this season to compete for a playoff spot.

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