GLENDALE, Ariz. — There was little point sifting through the Coyotes’ 2-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday at Gila River Arena.

The season finale didn’t look much better than the season opener, and the result was meaningless since the Coyotes’ chances of finishing 30th in the NHL standings ended when Buffalo lost to Columbus on Friday.

"Losing kills you enough but when you’re not as competitive as you need to be that’s even more frustrating," said Coyotes coach Dave Tippett, who termed Saturday "the end of a painful experience. I can’t see myself doing that again."

Arizona set a franchise record with its 58th loss (including overtime and shootouts), it tied for the fewest home wins (11) since the franchise moved here while finishing 29th in the standings, 29th in goals scored (170) and 28th in goals against (272).

How will Mikkel Boedker (from top left), coach Dave Tippett, Shane Doan, presumed No. 1 pick Connor McDavid and Mike Smith fit into the Coyotes 2015-16 plans?

"At least it stops now and we get a chance to try to fix things," Tippett said.

No time like the present. As the Coyotes wash their hands of the franchise’s worst season since moving to the Valley and roll up their sleeves to make sure it doesn’t happen again, here are the top 10 questions facing the team as it begins the offseason.

10. What will the draft bring?

The NHL Draft Lottery is April 18. The Coyotes will know then whether they will draft first, second or third. Arizona has a 13.5 percent chance of drafting first, a 20 percent chance of drafting second and a 66.5 percent chance of drafting third.

If the Coyotes land one of the top two picks, they will select Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel, in that order. If they pick third, the jury is out. Arizona desperately needs help at center and could take a player such as Dylan Strome, Mitch Marner or Pavel Zacha. The Coyotes have some promising center prospects in Christian Dvorak, Laurent Dauphin and Ryan MacInnis, but GM Don Maloney has said multiple times that he plans to overdraft the position due to its importance. In any case, the Coyotes will have to play the waiting game. None of the draft prospects (beyond McDavid or Eichel, if he leaves school) is considered NHL ready for next season. Neither are any of the team’s current prospects with the possible exception of bottom-six center Tyler Gaudet.

There also is the possibility the Coyotes could draft a defenseman. Noah Hanifin is the highest rated blue-liner in the draft but some executives like Ivan Provorov and Zach Werensky. The problem with all three of those players is that they are left-handed shots. The Coyotes have an abundance of those and a dearth of right-handed shooting defensemen. It’s not uncommon for a left-handed shot to play the right side, but it’s not ideal.

9. How active will the Coyotes be in free agency or with trades?

Maloney earlier this spring said he didn’t anticipate the Coyotes being overly active in free agency, but that doesn’t mean Arizona won’t make any moves and it doesn’t mean the Coyotes won’t pursue trades. With the salary cap expected to come in lower than originally forecast, several teams will feel the pinch and be forced to shed quality players to stay under the cap ceiling. The New York Islanders took advantage of that situation last summer to land defensemen Johnny Boychuk (from Boston) and Nick Leddy (from Chicago).

Maloney is armed with plenty of draft picks after his trade-deadline haul, so he has the assets to deal. Among the things the Coyotes may be looking for in free agency and via trades are a physical defenseman, a backup goalie and a center.

8. Will Martin Hanzal’s troublesome back heal enough so he can be effective?

Doctors said Hanzal’s surgery went well (when do they ever say otherwise?) and the Coyotes say Hanzal is on track to be ready for training camp. But this is a problem that surfaced multiple times and the back is not an area with which to trifle.

Hanzal’s net-front presence and play in the corners requires taking a beating. That has clearly taken its toll on his body. He hasn’t played more than 65 games in the last four full seasons. He is only 28, however, and still has two more seasons left on his contract at a reasonable price of $3.5 million per year.

Hanzal’s play isn’t adequately appreciated by those who look solely at point production and either ignore, or don’t see the many other areas of the game where he contributes. Arizona needs a healthy Hanzal next season. That need is compounded by the dearth of top-end centers the Coyotes have at the NHL level.

7. What sort of deal will the Coyotes reach with restricted free agent Mikkel Boedker?

Boedker’s agent, Jarrett Bousquet, last week said talks with GM Don Maloney have been positive and the sides are "trying to work toward some common ground." Boedker went through one dry spell, but he was having a good season when he suffered a ruptured spleen in Winnipeg in January that ended his year. He had 14 goals and 28 points in 45 games before the injury.

The Coyotes do not have a wealth of skilled forwards so re-signing Boedker is a no-brainer. The devil will be in the details. The last time the sides negotiated, Boedker nearly missed part of training camp while looking for a longer-term deal. The sides eventually settled on a two-year deal worth an average of $2.55 million per season but that number will clearly go up.

Boedker, 25, has improved every season. He has the type of speed, skills and tenacity that could be a key piece in the franchise’s rebuild, but he doesn’t have the numbers on his resume to demand top dollar.

6. Will Maloney remain the club’s GM?

Yes. Maloney admitted after the trade deadline that he was feeling the pressure to perform for the team’s two-year-old ownership group. Maloney made a name for himself by working miracles on a shoestring budget for the first five years of his Coyotes tenure, but those were mostly made under the watchful eye of the league, which owned the team at the time. The moves he had made the last couple seasons haven’t panned out and the Coyotes dipped to the bottom of the Western Conference.

It’s impossible to say whether the deals he made at the deadline will pan out. Nobody knows that for certain; most trades and draft picks are calculated gambles. But Maloney held his cards a long time and finally cashed in with widely lauded deals for Antoine Vermette and offensive defenseman Keith Yandle, as well as a smaller deal for defenseman Zbynek Michalek.

In return, the Coyotes landed defenseman Klas Dahlbeck, who has already impressed the coaching staff; top prospect Anthony Duclair, who should be with the club next season; defenseman John Moore; a first-round pick in each of the next two drafts; and center prospect Maxim Letunov. That’s a lot of assets. Some will likely pan out; others may be used in future deals. In either case, Maloney bought himself more time with good execution.

5. Which prospects have a chance to make the roster next season?

Max Domi is a shoe-in, provided he doesn’t have a disastrous training camp. Anthony Duclair will have a good chance to make the team after making the Rangers roster out of camp. He will add another dynamic element to the forward group. Tyler Gaudet has a chance to supplant one of the team’s bottom-six centers for a spot and winger Lucas Lessio will also have an opportunity to make the roster. Center Laurent Dauphin could get a couple courtesy calls next season, although he should spend most of the season in AHL to assimilate to the pro game.

This is a big summer for forward Henrik Samuelsson, the team’s first-round pick in 2012 (27th overall), who plans to work with a power-skating instructor on his troublesome stride. The progress he makes could determine whether he can be an impact player for the top six or a role player in the bottom six.

The team will continue talks with Viktor Tikhonov, who wants to return from the KHL. Arizona owns his rights until July 1 after which he can become a free agent, but the Coyotes can’t sign him until his KHL contract expires on June 1.

4. Who will play center next season?

As mentioned earlier, a healthy Hanzal is critical. Beyond that, the Coyotes have Kyle Chipchura and Joe Vitale, Tyler Gaudet in the system and Sam Gagner as an option Tippett already decided looked better on the wing. This is clearly a problem and no, the Coyotes don’t view diminutive Mark Arcobello as a potential solution. His game away from the puck has too many holes, as does his puck management.

If Arizona is lucky enough to land one of the top two picks, that could help immensely. Jack Eichel could decide to return to Boston University, but the guess is he will turn pro and Eichel has no known issues with Arizona.

There won’t be many centers available in free agency, but the Coyotes may find a cap casualty that another team is forced to unload — someone who can provide a short-term solution.

3. Has Mike Smith turned the corner?

Smith said recently that he doesn’t believe in momentum from one season to the next. Too bad. The guy between the pipes the last couple months looks like the guy who carried an underappreciated team to the conference finals.

Smith may never put up numbers like he did that season when he posted a .930 save percentage, but if he can be in the .920 range, the Coyotes will be much improved. The team’s renewed focus on defending better — and the additions of Andrew Campbell and Klas Dahlbeck to the lineup — have helped in that regard. The team will likely look to further bolster the blue line this offseason.

At least Smith’s head appears to be clear of the static that was impacting his play. He’s taken ownership for his own play, he’s not taking any recent accomplishments for granted and he’s still holding his teammates accountable, serving as perhaps the most honest voice in the dressing room.

2. Will captain Shane Doan be back?

This will come down to priorities for Doan. He has endured more than most players should his last few seasons with the Coyotes, from ownership uncertainty, to promises he feels were broken, to the trades of close friends Keith Yandle and Antoine Vermette and more. He will turn 39 in October and may not have the stomach for a rebuild.

Let’s not forget, however, that Doan got himself a nice contract the last time the two sides were at the negotiating table. That’s not to say Doan isn’t worth every penny, even if his production has slipped. His kind of leadership is rare and it’s all the more important in a young and impressionable dressing room. But pity for a guy who will make $4.55 million as he turns 39 seems a bit misguided.

Doan’s family is a crucial part of this equation and carries far more weight than anyone realizes. It’s fair to say they are the first, second and third considerations as he weighs whether to waive his no-move clause and request a trade to a contender. Doan’s family loves living in the Valley, but will they be OK with him chasing a Cup for one season? Do any teams still want Doan at that price and that age, or would the Coyotes have to retain salary to make any deal happen? Does Doan really want to leave the only franchise he’s ever known for one or two seasons with new teammates, new surroundings and no guarantee of competing for a Cup? This will be one of the team’s two biggest storylines this summer.

"I’m going to see what’s going on," Doan said after the season finale. "You hope for some things that give you an opportunity to win."

1. Will coach Dave Tippett be back?

We’ll have more on this on Sunday, but Tippett’s decision will come down to his assessment of the direction of the team. If it looks like a longterm rebuilding project and more of what he just endured, he will seek another opportunity as he made plain with that aforementioned quote: "I can’t see myself doing that again."

If the Coyotes are willing to do what it takes to compete within a couple years, he could stay.

"I’m going to dig in hard here for a couple weeks just to see where we’re at," he said. "I don’t think this is the time where you should step back and forget about things. Things are really raw and really fresh. We should use that to our advantage right now."