More changes unlikely to hit Coyotes before training camp

The Coyotes still have a few items left on their wist list -- namely a puck-moving defenseman -- but General Manager Don Maloney doubts any more changes will hit the roster before it is set to debut at training camp in the fall.

"There are still a lot of players out there," Maloney said Thursday. "If anything, I can see maybe some tryouts coming our way. The good thing for us we still have roster flexibility. We have some payroll flexibility, but I'm just adamant not to shore up a roster with any more one-way contracts unless it's a very good deal."

After watching the talent brewing in the pipeline at the team's prospect development camp earlier this month, team brass is eager to see how many youngsters can legitimately contend for a job in the NHL. If the candidates become slim, the team isn't opposed to exploring outside options at that point.

But the possibility of prospects competing for roster spots is enticing; actually, despite also coveting another winger, Maloney said he'd probably rather add a mobile defenseman instead of a winger because of the exciting youth currently in the team's forward group.

Even so, the Coyotes are still keeping a pulse on the market.

"We're still talking, more kicking tires," Maloney said.

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So far this summer, the Coyotes have made a slew of trades and signings to try to improve off of last season's 50-loss performance. Most notably, they've added defensemen Nicklas Grossmann and Zbynek Michalek; forwards Boyd Gordon, Brad Richardson, Steve Downie, Antoine Vermette and John Scott; and goalie Anders Lindback.

They've also said goodbye to a handful of roster regulars from 2014-15 including forwards Lauri Korpikoski, Sam Gagner, Martin Erat, Dave Moss, B.J. Crombeen, and Mark Arcobello and defensemen Andrew Campbell and John Moore.

The Coyotes have also agreed to a one-year, two-way contract with defenseman Brandon Gormley, Maloney said, after Gormley accepted his qualifying offer as a restricted free agent. The deal, however, has yet to be formally processed.

The other remaining restricted free agent on the team's books, goalie Louis Domingue, did not sign a two-way qualifying offer, Maloney said, and has instead chose to play next season in Europe.

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The Coyotes will retain Domingue's rights for four more years, but Maloney said he was surprised with Domingue's decision.

A fifth-round draft pick in 2010 (138th overall), Domingue split last season between the Coyotes and American Hockey League. He shifted into a backup role with the Coyotes near the end of the season, going 1-2-1 with a .911 save percentage and 2.73 goals-against average. The 23-year-old Quebec native won his inaugural NHL start Feb. 1 in Montreal as the Coyotes beat the Canadiens 3-2.

"I think he's always been quite confident in himself, and he just thought he deserved more than a two-way contract basically is what it came down to and that's fine," Maloney said. "He's still a young goalie. I don't know where he's going to play over there, but hopefully he'll play somewhere and then we'll see. If he continues to develop well, that's good. That's fine with us. But it does open up opportunity for others."

On Wednesday, the Coyotes signed 24-year-old German goaltender Niklas Treutle to a one-year, entry-level contract -- a player the team liked in the spring and kept tabs on in the event a roster spot in the AHL became available.

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As for Gormley, he appears headed for somewhat of a make-or-break season with the team. Drafted 13th overall in 2010, the left-handed defender has yet to permanently lasso a job with the Coyotes. Last season, injuries slowed his progress and the 23-year-old played in only 27 games -- registering two goals, four points and a minus-7 rating.

"This is crunch time for Brandon with us," Maloney said. "He requires waivers to go to the minors. Last year was sort of an up-and-down season. I thought he had a very mediocre training camp. He showed some real good things in the fall, then was hurt and then never really got back into a regular role with us.

"He'll have all kinds of opportunity to make our roster coming out of training camp, but he's going to have to do it. So this is a very important time for him and us."

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