Arizona Coyotes stumbled in 2017, stepping up in 2018

The way the Coyotes started their 2017-18 campaign, it’s not hard to be surprised when observing an aura of optimism surrounding the team at the NHL All-Star break.

With injuries, a new coach and an extremely young roster, the Coyotes started the season poorly but recovered for a strong finish. The team entered the All-Star break having notched a point in five of its past six games and seven of nine.

Sure, there are no illusions of the Coyotes being a playoff team. But they’re no longer playing like a pushover.

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Early struggles

To say the Coyotes struggled out of the gate would be an understatement.

Arizona did not earn a win until its 12th game of the season, a 4-3 overtime victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Oct. 30. The team did not win a game in regulation until Nov. 16, a 5-4 decision over the Montreal Canadiens.

The Coyotes were also without one of their budding prodigies, 19-year-old defenseman Jakob Chychrun, who missed the team’s first 30 games recovering from offseason knee surgery.

Newly acquired goaltender Antti Raanta and veteran defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson also had multiple stints on injured reserve, as the Coyotes’ young core struggled to adjust to the system put in place by first-year coach Rick Tocchet.

“The start we had was frustrating,” Coyotes President of Hockey Operations and General Manager John Chayka said. “... We were integrating youth into the lineup, and at the same time changing our style of play. There was a lot of transition with veteran players.

“Put that together with injuries. When you put that in a blender, it’s what led to our tough start.”

But the injury bug eventually passed and consequently the Coyotes entered the break playing their best hockey of the season. Chayka said having his full defensive unit back, as well as a healthy Raanta in net, has paid dividends.

“Our defense really solidifies things for us,” Chayka said. “Having Raanta, who’s on a really good run, helps as well now that he’s back. Health is important to us.”

The Coyotes eventually found their game, but the same could not be said for third-year forward Max Domi.

Domi, 22, transitioned from left wing to center in mid-December to fill a need in the lineup. And while coaches maintain that Domi’s defensive game has vastly improved, he has scored just three goals in 50 games this season.

The forward’s 18 assists are nothing to scoff at, but Domi’s scoring woes are new even to him. He scored nine goals in 59 games in an injury-shortened season last year and tallied 18 goals in 81 games his rookie season in 2015-16.

Chayka said he eventually sees Domi as transitioning back to wing, but for now the experiment can provide good things for him.

“It’s a different role for a young player and he’s done a diligent job within the details in his game,” Chayka said. “It’s hard to create offense from that position at a young age, but it’s experience that can’t hurt him. We think it will help his overall game as a winger even when he transfers back.”

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Resurgence on ice

When the calendar switched over to 2018, the Coyotes were firm on their stance for the new year.

As the team was preparing for its first game of 2018 against the Nashville Predators on Jan. 4, a unanimous decision was made to leave 2017 in the past and to treat 2018 as a separate entity.

And that’s exactly what the Coyotes did, earning points in seven of nine games in 2018.

For Chayka, the string of success has been a combination of roster maturation and mental adjustments.

“This is more of what we envisioned our club to be,” Chayka said. “But at the same time we’re scratching the surface. Christian Dvorak, Clayton Keller, Jakob Chychrun, Brendan Perlini. We’ve seen these guys grow before our eyes. This is more of what we envisioned. Dictating the pace and outplaying teams.”

In the opening months of the season, it seemed the only thing going right for the Coyotes was the play of Keller, a 19-year-old rookie out of Boston University.

He was the NHL's Rookie of the Month for October, collecting nine goals and six assists in just 13 games. Although having tapered off since then, the teenager remains the team's leader in goals and points.

Keller's trajectory this season has been the opposite of his young teammates who struggled early but gradually adjusted to Tocchet's system.

Then came the trade of one of the Coyotes' young players, Anthony Duclair, who was sent to the Blackhawks in exchange for Richard Panik on Jan. 10.

Chayka said his moves as an executive — including the Duclair trade — have all been to forge a Coyotes roster with a healthy mix of youth and veteran presence.

For now, Chayka likes what he sees.

“I like a lot of pieces we have and the veteran players we have in place,” Chayka said. “It's created some leadership and accountability. … We know young players are going to have ups and downs but you’ve got to get them in those experiences. Now, it's about stabilizing.”

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