Sarah McLellan

azcentral sports

Paring the roster of veterans at the NHL trade deadline two seasons ago was the unofficial start to the Coyotes’ rebuild, a decision that bolstered the prospect pool and created opportunities for the young up-and-comers the team identified as vital to future success.

The ensuing campaign in 2015-16, then, was positioned as Year 1 of this process with a revamped look flashing the potential of the newcomers. Even though the group faded in the second half, falling out of a playoff position while veteran teams elevated their play, the 22-point jump was still by all accounts a solid debut.

But the change that followed made it clear that the real reset was just beginning.

An overhaul of the front office, makeover to the organization’s infrastructure and rookie-heavy roster have transformed this season into Step 1, and the team’s performance has reinforced that.

At 11-18-5 and with 27 points, the Coyotes are second-to-last in the NHL and 11 points shy of the second wild-card berth in the Western Conference. They have yet to win more than two in a row and boast losing skids of five and six games.

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These returns prove Arizona is very much a work in progress as it emerges from the three-day holiday break to host the Dallas Stars Tuesday, and while there’s no guarantee the Coyotes improve even though that’s their hope, team brass hasn’t wavered on its belief that this was the necessary direction to establish a winning culture that’s sustainable.

“Our strategy is to integrate youth,” General Manager John Chayka said. “At some point, I think you have to cut the fat away, take the training wheels off and these are the results for our group. It’s a young group. It’s a core group, though, that we think can grow into something special, so we’re still committed to it.”

Five rookies cracked the initial roster out of training camp, but that number has grown through merit and injury.

In total, eight have dressed this season with six making their NHL debuts. Add in four sophomores, and youth has regularly headlined the team’s batch of options – forcing coach Dave Tippett to juggle a young look that deserves a chance with an experienced mix that is geared to winning that night.

“Those are the biggest challenges for me, having those balances between your veteran players and your young players,” Tippett said.

Although growing pains are inevitable when teenagers are in the lineup, the Coyotes are detecting progress.

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They expected to send 18-year-old defenseman Jakob Chychrun back to junior, but he earned a job and often hasn’t looked out of place.

“It’s positive to see an 18-year-old who could be back in junior step in and make an impact,” Chayka said.

Defenseman Anthony DeAngelo is another rookie who has shined at times, and up front the Coyotes have noticed winger Lawson Crouse and center Christian Dvorak evolve. Crouse has even warranted top-line minutes, while Dvorak has started to settle in after roving all over the depth chart.

“Now he’s playing a little lower in the lineup, but he’s playing efficient minutes for us,” Tippett said.

But the entire group has been up and down, the Coyotes’ most glaring issue to date that’s indicative of a less-experienced roster, the arrival of new veterans and a team-wide confidence that fluctuates.

“We need to find that consistency a little more often and not just game-in, game-out but in the midst of a game, too,” goalie Mike Smith said. “We’ve done some good things in games and it looks like we’re going to have a big game, and we let off the gas or we start turning pucks over and it snowballs.”

The Coyotes’ 2.12 goals-per-game average is second-worst in the NHL, which is also where their goals-against clip sits (3.15). Winger Radim Vrbata has a team-best eight goals and 22 points, while some key producers from last season have struggled. Captain Shane Doan has 10 points, and winger Anthony Duclair has only one goal.

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Arizona’s power play is 26th (14.6 percent); same for the penalty kill at 77.8 percent. The team has given up 294 more shot attempts than it’s taken, the worst difference in the NHL that suggests the Coyotes have chased the puck more than they've had it.

Injuries haven’t helped; Smith missed about a month after suffering a MCL sprain in his left knee in Game No. 2 but has been impressive upon his return, posting a .923 save percentage overall.

Center Brad Richardson is still recovering from a fractured tibia and fibula in his right leg, and winger Max Domi is out with a broken hand. Whether or not Richardson returns this season remains unclear, while Domi is expected to be back in action in January.

Absences like these happen to every team, but they do appear to hit a group harder when the subtractions expose more youth rather than established NHLers.

“There’s days when it’s frustrating,” Tippett said. “But you have to recognize it’s part of the process.”

Still, losing is disappointing and the veterans feel a responsibility to patch the holes as quickly as possible.

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Everyone, however, also seems to understand a timeline was put in place when the Coyotes signed up for a rebuild and if they adhere to it, their patience should be rewarded.

And the team is still optimistic the report card from the first year can be encouraging.

“Our goal is just to continue to get better and be a better team at the end of the year than we were at the beginning of the year, and we expect that to be a really good team,” Chayka said. “Certainly we’re hoping to get some better results here. I think our process is continuing to trend in the right direction, so our results should come. They’re lagging right now, but they should come and get some wins. Winning is the best thing for everybody.”

Reach the reporter at sarah.mclellan@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8276. Follow her at twitter.com/azc_mclellan.

Tuesday's game

Stars at Coyotes

When: 7 p.m.

Where: Gila River Arena.

TV/radio: Fox Sports Arizona/KMVP-FM (98.7).

Stars update: The Stars entered the three-day holiday break 14-14-7 for 35 points. They rank fifth in the Central Division and were three points shy of the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. Dallas has won two of its previous three games and is in the midst of a three-game point streak. The Stars edged the Kings 3-2 in overtime Friday. Before that, they lost to the Blues in extra time and clipped the Flyers – all at home. Dallas is 4-9-4 on the road. Center Tyler Seguin leads the team in points with 33, while winger Patrick Eaves has a team-best 12 goals. Seguin ranks second with 11. Center Jason Spezza has three points in his last two games. Goalies Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi have mostly shared starting duties. Lehtonen won the final game before the break, but Niemi started the previous four games.