Evaluating prospects key step in reshaping Coyotes

The job fair the Coyotes have been hosting since as early as November, when their playoff hopes started to curdle, has left the impression that the team wants to examine as many candidates as possible without actually extending an offer.

Their roster turnover, exemplified by the fact that eight different call-ups have played no more than five games each, certainly gives credence to this theory, but it's a flawed argument.

"They can stick," coach Dave Tippett said. "A player can come in and grab a job."

The problem is not enough players have done that. Winger Tobias Rieder is the best example of a minor-leaguer who won a regular role with the team and has yet to deserve a demotion. After burying an empty-netter in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Blue Jackets to cap off a 3-1-1 road trip performance for the Coyotes, Rieder has eight goals — one more than Martin Erat, the same number as Martin Hanzal and one less than Sam Gagner.

The decision to welcome youth into the mix would certainly look more flattering if more players orchestrated a transition as seamless as Rieder has, but that hasn't been the case.

So patience is trumpeted, and that's particularly clear when it comes to the current position under the microscope for the Coyotes: goaltending.

It's unclear yet if the Coyotes will fulfill the backup position in-house or via trade or free agency this summer but once they traded Devan Dubnyk last month, they afforded themselves the opportunity to explore what's already in the system.

Louis Domingue was the first to actually earn a start with Mike Lee and Mike McKenna never leaving the bench in their abbreviated stints, and Domingue's showing was well-received. He made 18 saves in a 3-2 win over his hometown Canadiens Sunday in Montreal.

But it'll take more than one game to convince the Coyotes they're settled in that role.

"I don't think at that position, at this time right now, we're going to get that excited about a game or two," goaltending coach Sean Burke said. "So for him, it's an opportunity to show what he's been doing in Portland, how he's improved and I think he did that the other night. It was a very good showing for him, and he'll probably get another game."

Let's not get carried away: this is a backup goaltending role. No.1 Mike Smith is anchored to this team with a six-year, $34 million contract, so there's no confusion about who will be eating up the bulk of the starts moving forward.

But Domingue, Lucas Lessio and the other prospects who will audition the rest of the season represent the future, and gauging how far off they are from being competitive NHLers can shed some insight into how shallow or deep the pipeline is and for a team in the midst of a reassessment, that's important information.

The likes of Max Domi, Brendan Perlini and Christian Dvorak all suggest they will be impact players once they're ready, and they might make more than a splash when it's their time to interview. But homegrown depth is invaluable to avoid hitting the reset button every few years.

"You want to be careful that you don't rush a guy in and then when he's here, he's ready to play."

Burke was referring to goalies when he made that statement, but the philosophy applies to every position group.

This summer's draft, the trade market and free agency will all go a long way in reassembling the Coyotes after this season, but what's on display now from the youngsters in the organization is also a solid barometer of how long this process will take.

Actually, it might be even more telling.

Reach The Heat Index at sarah.mclellan@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8276. Follow her at twitter.com/azc_mclellan





Thursday night's game

Hurricanes at Coyotes

When: 7 p.m.

Where: Gila River Arena.

TV/radio: Fox Sports Arizona/KTAR-AM (620).

Hurricanes update: This is the third stop on a four-game road trip for the Hurricanes, who lost 5-4 in overtime to the Ducks on Tuesday. Overall, they've dropped three in a row but have managed at least a point in five of their past six games. Even so, Carolina sits second-to-last in the Eastern Conference with 41 points. The Hurricanes are 6-17-4 on the road this season. Captain Eric Staal leads the team with 31 points. He also has a team-best 16 goals.