Sarah McLellan

azcentral sports

Coyotes defenseman Connor Murphy earned an in-season promotion next to Oliver Ekman-Larsson, a nod to the growth the 23-year-old continues to show in his young NHL career.

But Murphy isn’t expecting to automatically have the No. 2 spot next season.

He plans to earn the opportunity again in the fall when the team reconvenes for training camp.

“I want to prove that I can play with him on the top pair all 82 games,” Murphy said.

It’s unclear how the Coyotes’ blue line might change this summer; another option for the No. 1 unit might emerge via trade or free agency.

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But if not, Murphy could remain a solid complement to Ekman-Larsson – especially after another offseason of work.

“I expect him to come back even better next year,” coach Dave Tippett said. “He wants to be a top-four defenseman in this league, and he studies other top-four defensemen in this league. He knows exactly what they do and how much they play and the impact they have on the game. So he’s well-versed in his goal of what he wants to become.”

Murphy will be in Russia in May for the IIHF World Championships, representing the United States, and the ice time certainly can’t hurt.

One of the more glaring adjustments to playing next to Ekman-Larsson, the team’s best player, is getting used to his workload as he averaged a team-high 24:46. Playing both sides of special teams probably helped Murphy adapt; he was able to average 20:30, his highest clip in three seasons.

“I felt like I got more comfortable as the year went on,” Murphy said. “A little part of training I’ll look at is trying to be comfortable right off the bat playing a high level for a lot of minutes in games. I’m excited to try to prove myself to be able to play big minutes again next year.”

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Solidifying a spot

Winger Jordan Martinook might not have arrived in the NHL with much fanfare, an under-the-radar prospect who won a spot on the Coyotes out of training camp.

But when the season wrapped earlier this month, Martinook certainly ranked among the bright spots.

“It’s just work ethic,” he said. “That’s what I try to bring every night. When you work hard, you get rewarded.”

Martinook wasn’t just a determined worker who toiled on the penalty kill, blocked shots and created momentum with his hustle. He also chipped in secondary scoring, finishing with nine goals and 24 points.

But his attention to the details of the game will likely help keep him in the league.

“My last meeting with my junior coach, he said, ‘You scored 40 goals but if you make it to the NHL, you’re probably not going to be a 40-goal scorer or even a 30-goal scorer,’" Martinook said. "So you definitely gotta figure out what’s going to keep you in the NHL.”

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Learning on the job

Another rookie who stuck with the Coyotes all season was defenseman Klas Dahlbeck.

The 24-year-old skated in 71 games in his first full season in the NHL after being acquired by the Coyotes in a swap with the Blackhawks ahead of the 2015 trade deadline.

“If you’re not 100 percent on the top of your game, you’re going to have a bad night – and especially as a defenseman,” he said. “I think you’re more exposed to it than maybe you are for a forward. So you really gotta be ready every night and bring that over the course of a full year.”

Dahlbeck, who will be a restricted free agent this summer, wasn’t a lightning rod for offense (he totaled two goals and six assists), but he did seem to establish an identity as a physical defender. And that style could help him evolve as a regular in the NHL.

“I want to keep improving my puck play and continue to be a hard competitor out there,” Dahlbeck said. “I think that’s the two things that’s going to keep me in this league.”

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