2014-15 Retrospective

The Arizona Coyotes staggered to 56 points, their worst point total since the franchise moved to the Valley from Winnipeg in 1996. They finished last in the Western Conference, they missed the playoffs for a third straight season and then they lost the NHL Draft Lottery and the right to choose one of two franchise centers: Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel. It’s safe to term last season an unmitigated disaster.

Additions

C Antoine Vermette

C Brad Richardson

C Boyd Gordon

F Steve Downie

F John Scott

D Nicklas Grossmann

D Zbynek Michalek

D Stefan Elliott

G Anders Lindback

Subtractions

F David Moss

F Sam Gagner

F Martin Erat

F Lauri Korpikoski

C Mark Arcobello

D Andrew Campbell

F BJ Crombeen

D Brandon Gormley

F Tye McGinn

D John Moore

What Would Make 2015-16 A Success?

Simply competing for a playoff spot. Coach Dave Tippett made the postseason his first three seasons in Arizona with teams that overachieved. He narrowly missed the next two seasons when part of the formula fell apart. After last season’s debacle, Tippett openly stated that he did not want to endure such a catastrophic season again — hinting that he might exercise a clause in his contract that allows him to escape after this season.

The Coyotes made a number of offseason moves that pleased Tippett, including bringing back centers Antoine Vermette, Boyd Gordon, defenseman Zbynek Michalek, and then signing free agents Brad Richardson and defenseman Nicklas Grossmann, who played for Tippett in Dallas.

The moves will almost certainly make the Coyotes more competitive, but they didn’t land the prize piece on the trade market that they wanted most: Boston defenseman Dougie Hamilton. Instead, he went to conference rival Calgary and former Coyotes executive Brad Treliving, now the GM for the Flames.

Arizona will introduce some dynamic offensive youth into its lineup, starting with 2013 first-round pick Max Domi and forward Anthony Duclair, who came over from the New York Rangers in the trade-deadline deal for defenseman Keith Yandle. Fourth-liner Jordan Martinook also wowed the staff in training camp and earned a roster spot. Center Dylan Strome, the third overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, and power forward Brendan Perlini are still a year away, but the Coyotes have a boatload of talented prospects that could alter this franchise’s course if their potential pans out.

As for this season, the goal is simply to stay in the postseason hunt while those younger players develop. To do that, the Coyotes will need contributions up and down the lineup, they’ll need goalie Mike Smith to play like the guy who showed up over the last two months of last season, and they’ll need strong leadership from the veterans, starting with captain Shane Doan, who enters the final season of his contract with the only franchise he’s ever known.

What Could Derail the Coyotes?

Plenty. Smith could revert to the guy that had an abysmal start last season, or even the guy who underperformed the two previous seasons. Goalie coach Sean Burke is gone so the club is hoping Smith’s lifelong personal coach and new Arizona goalie coach, Jon Elkin, can fill the void, keep Smith happy and remove any excuses.

Aside from Smith, the Coyotes are still deficient on offense. It’s unrealistic to expect Domi, Duclair et al to carry the offense this early. If Arizona is going to compete for a playoff spot, it will need to defend much better than it did last season. Grossmann will help, so will Gordon and Michalek, but Hamilton would have solidified this defense by pairing Oliver Ekman-Larsson with another elite young talent — a pairing that would have had ripple effects throughout the lineup.

Is This A Playoff Team?

No. The Western Conference is too deep and the Coyotes are too incomplete in too many areas to supplant the 10 or more teams in this conference that are clearly more talented than them. The thing to watch this season will be the progress of the younger players and players such as Boedker and Rieder who must take their games to the next level. Potential is still only potential until it is realized.

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