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Phoenix rising: Arizona Coyotes next up in the West?

By Dave Stevenson

Mandatory Credit: Scott Audette/NHLI via Getty Images Mandatory Credit: Norm Hall/NHLI via Getty Images
Mandatory Credit: Scott Audette/NHLI via Getty Images Mandatory Credit: Norm Hall/NHLI via Getty Images /
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People thought the NHL was crazy when it boldly decided to move the Winnipeg Jets to Phoenix, Arizona. Many believed hockey could never work out in the desert, but thanks to a youth movement and some extraordinary community efforts, the Arizona Coyotes are quickly rising in the NHL.

After consecutive seasons without a a playoff appearance in 2012-13 and 2013-14, the Coyotes realized they needed a change. Their rebuild officially began at the 2013 NHL Draft when they took forward Max Domi with the 12th overall pick. But it wasn’t until after the 2013-14 season that then general manager Don Maloney decided to start actively rebuilding the team.

The next drafts netted the Coyotes some excellent players. They added forwards Ryan MacKinnis (81 points in 59 games in the OHL in 2015-16) and Christian Dvorak (230 points over the last two seasons) in 2014. In 2015, they added third overall pick Dylan Strome (82 goals and 240 points over the last two seasons), forward Nick Merkley (138 points in 115 games over the last two seasons), and forward Conor Garland (257 points over the last two seasons). Arizona also added Clayton Keller and Jakob Chychrun in the 2016 NHL Draft.

Quietly, the Arizona Coyotes have built an impressive team, and three of their top four scorers from 2015-16 are under 26 years old. Rookie sensations Max Domi and Anthony Duclair combined for 96 points, while defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson set career highs with 55 points and 34 assists and also scored 20 goals for the second consecutive season.

Their youth movement doesn’t stop there. Forward Jordan Martinook, a 2012 second round pick, is a solid third line forward and defenseman Connor Murphy had a breakout season, averaging over 20 minutes of ice time for the first time in his NHL career. Murphy went from having a -27 plus-minus rating in 2014-15 to a +5 in 2015-16.

Forward Tobias Rieder hasn’t signed a contract yet, but he’s an important player for the Coyotes, contributing at even strength and on special teams. He had 37 points in 82 games in 2015-16 for the Coyotes. 24-year-old goaltender Louis Domingue had a .912 save percentage in 39 games as he emerged as another potential future option for the Coyotes.

The young Coyotes will be led by veteran forward Shane Doan. Doan has spent his entire career with the franchise. He serves as the team dad, teaching the young players lessons they must learn to be consistent NHL contributors. As Doan has aged, he’s gotten less and less playing time, and the young players have now taken over. But even if Doan isn’t a member of the next Coyotes team to make the playoffs, he’ll be looking on like a proud father.

Forward Radim Vrbata is returning to the Coyotes after several seasons with the Vancouver Canucks. Vrbata had 62 points for the last Coyotes team to make the playoffs (2011-12). He should help provide the Coyotes with some veteran leadership as they continue to grow. Vrbata has had a pretty unique NHL career and has experienced a lot of different situations. That wisdom should serve the young Arizona Coyotes well.

The Arizona Coyotes are rising off the ice as well. They recently hired Dawn Braid, the first full-time female coach in NHL history, to be their skating coach. Arizona is a very progressive team in their front office as well. Over the summer, they hired analytics guru John Chayka as their new GM, and he made an immediate impact by convincing former Dallas Stars defenseman Alex Goligoski to join the Coyotes.

Off the ice, the Coyotes have been aggressive in bringing hockey to Arizona communities. In an effort to grow their fanbase, the Coyotes have been focusing on growing the game among Arizona’s youth. It’s been beneficial for both the communities and the players, and the state’s hockey development has definitely improved in recent years as a result.

Recently, Arizona native Auston Matthews was drafted with the first overall pick of the 2016 NHL Draft. Before going overseas, he dominated with the United States National Development Team, just another example of how hockey is growing in the Copper State. Credit the Arizona Coyotes for that.

The Coyotes future looks very bright. For the first time in a while, it feels like hockey has a future in Arizona. While they didn’t get lucky and win the 2014 NHL Draft lottery, Dylan Strome is a mighty fine consolation prize. Arizona was very conservative with Domi, keeping him in juniors for as long as they could before calling him up. Don’t be surprised if they adopt a similar strategy with Strome.

What’s scary is that Christian Dvorak might be even better. He obviously has to deal with the size issue, standing at just 5-foot-8. However, he more than makes up for his lack of height with eye-popping skill. Dvorak has a similar game to Johnny Gaudreau of the Calgary Flames. He’s quick, fast and knows how to use his lack of size to his advantage.

Lawson Crouse could be an intriguing addition to the Arizona Coyotes. He’s a huge man who can get to the dirty areas and score. The Coyotes have the patience necessary to let him develop, whether that’s on the fourth line in the NHL or in juniors.

Arizona has used creative methods to improve their team. They found a way to improve their prospect system while using their greatest asset — their cap space. By taking on the contracts of Pavel Datsyuk and Dave Bolland, the Coyotes were able to add Chychrun and Crouse to their roster.

Whether the Arizona Coyotes make the playoffs in 2016-17 or not, their future is very bright. And the rest of the NHL better take notice.