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The 2019-2020 NHL season begins on October 2nd. With training camps open, NHL.com reviews the five keys, information on alignment issues and projected lines for each of the 31 teams. Today, the Coyotes of Arizona.
Coach: Rick Tocchet (third season)
Last season: 39-35-8; fourth place Pacific Division
5 keys
1. The teammates of Kessel
One of the biggest issues of the training camp will be determining who's right Phil Kessel best fits with. Kessel, acquired in a deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins on June 29, scored 27 goals last season and is expected to give a little more explosiveness to an offense of 2.55 goals per game average last season; which makes it the fourth worst score in the NHL.
Kessel has almost no history with any of the Coyote attackers; he and center Derek Stepan were teammates with the United States at the Sochi Olympics in 2014, but Stepan played a game. It is an option, as are Nick Schmaltz and Carl Soderberg. Soderberg, acquired as part of a deal with the Colorado Avalanche on June 25, scored 23 goals, an NHL career high, last season.
2. Rotation of the guards
In Antti RaantaFirst season with the Coyotes (2017-18), he was second in the NHL with an average of 2.24 and .930 save percentage in 47 games, finishing behind. Carter Hutton St. Louis Blues in each category (2.09 GAA, 0.931 percent savings).
Last season, Raanta was injured in the lower body on November 27th. Darcy Kuemper He took over and was sixth in the NHL with a silver average of 2.33 and seventh with a .925 save percentage in 55 games.
At each healthy entrance to the camp, Tocchet said that he wanted to play everyone enough to keep them fresh.
Video: Top 10 Rescues 2018-19: Kuemper
3. The health of Schmaltz
Schmaltz was acquired in a deal with the Chicago Blackhawks on Nov. 25 and scored 14 points (five goals, nine assists) in 17 games before suffering a lower-body injury ending his season against the Vegas Golden Knights December 30th.
With Schmaltz in training, the Coyotes averaged 2.71 goals per game, 0.16 more than their season average. If he stays healthy, the 23-year-old should join Kessel and move forward Clayton Keller as focal points of the Arizona offense.
Video: ARI @ ANA: Schmaltz buries Keller's lead for the winner of Occupational Therapy
4. center depth
The Coyotes have an abundance of natural centers: Stepan, Schmaltz, Brad Richardson, Christian Dvorak, Soderberg and top prospect Barrett Hayton.
Tocchet said his plan at the start of the training camp will be to leave Stepan and Richardson in the middle and the rest will be determined by the chemistry of the chain. General Manager John Chayka said that he liked the versatility and that he was convinced that, in Tocchet's style of play, the position ahead is not as important as it is know the responsibilities of defense.
5. Modification of the death penalty
The Coyotes were tied with the penalty penalty (85.0%) last season with the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Columbus Blue Jackets. They finished second with 16 shorthanded goals behind the Calgary Flames (18). Assistant Coach Scott Allen, who oversaw the penalty shootout of the last two seasons, was not selected. John MacLean now has this responsibility.
Most of the main penalty killers of last season remain, including the attacker Michael Grabner, who led the NHL with six shorthanded goals. Forwards Richardson, Stepan and Soderberg and the defenders Niklas Hjalmarsson and Jason Demers should see an increase in ice time shorthanded.
RUNDOWN ALIGNMENT
Make the cut
Hayton, the NHL's fifth draft pick in 2018, has 66 points (26 goals, 40 assists) in 39 games with Sault Ste. Marie of the Ontario Hockey League last season, and her energy in addition to scoring are necessary to a team tied for the third goal of the NHL last season (209). At 19, he played center and wing and is reliable in defense. Among those who compete for this place could be 23 years old Conor Garland, who had 18 points (13 goals, five assists) in 47 games last season and 22 Christian Fischerwho has played at least 70 games with the Coyotes each of the past two seasons.
Another rookie who could have an impact is the defender Victor Soderstrom, the No. 11 draft pick in the NHL in 2019. Soderstrom (5-foot-11, 179-pound) needs to become stronger, but he seemed comfortable against older players for Brynas in the Swedish League of hockey last season. The Coyotes have veterans Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Alex Goligoski, Jakob Chychrun, Demers and Hjalmarsson and could calm down in Soderstrom, or he could return to Sweden for a new season of development.
Most intriguing addition
Kessel is the dynamic scoring threat that the Coyotes have not had since moving from Winnipeg to Arizona for the 1996-97 season. He has averaged 29 goals in the last six seasons. no Coyotes player has scored as many goals in a season since Radim Vrbata scored 35 in 2011-12.
Biggest potential surprise
Dvorak did not play until February 26 of last season because of surgery on October 19 to repair a torn pectoral muscle. He scored seven points (two goals, five assists) in 20 games after scoring 15 goals in each of his previous two seasons in the NHL. The 23-year-old has a talent that has helped him become a big producer of points as a junior player. If he is healthy, he could provide a much needed secondary rating.
Video: LAK @ ARI: Dvorak deviates in a power play goal
Ready to break through
To the front Lawson Crouse He had his best time on the NHL last season (12:57 per game) and scored 25 points (11 goals, 14 assists) in 81 games. He could be in the running for a promotion in the top six and possibly on the power play. Thanks to her size (6-4, 220) and skills, Crouse has the potential to stand out.
Fancy sleeper
Kuemper (average position: 144.2) was tied with Andrei Vasilevskiy Tampa Bay Lightning NHL as a percentage of savings (.925) among goalies with at least 50 games and is more of a bargaining chip than Raanta (ADP: 108.2). – Rob Reese
PROJECTED LINE
Clayton Keller – Nick Schmaltz – Phil Kessel
Carl Soderberg – Derek Stepan – Lawson Crouse
Michael Grabner – Brad Richardson – Vinnie Hinostroza
Barrett Hayton – Christian Dvorak – Connor Garland
Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Jason Demers
Alex Goligoski – Niklas Hjalmarsson
Jakob Chychrun – Jordan Oesterle
Antti Raanta
Darcy Kuemper
Pictures courtesy: Arizona Coyotes
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