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NHL division previews: 2017-18 Pacific Division

By Nic Hendrickson

ANAHEIM, CA - APRIL 28: Connor McDavid
ANAHEIM, CA - APRIL 28: Connor McDavid /
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SAN JOSE, CA – SEPTEMBER 30: Coyotes center Max Domi (16) looks for a pass during the NHL game between the San Jose Sharks and the Arizona Coyotes on September 21, 2017, at the SAP Center in San Jose, CA. (Photo by Matt Cohen/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
SAN JOSE, CA – SEPTEMBER 30: Coyotes center Max Domi (16) looks for a pass during the NHL game between the San Jose Sharks and the Arizona Coyotes on September 21, 2017, at the SAP Center in San Jose, CA. (Photo by Matt Cohen/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

7th in 2017-18 Pacific Division – Arizona Coyotes

The Coyotes fall to seventh for two reasons, they lack experience in almost every area of the ice and the goaltending is sub-par, at best. It was virtually a toss-up with the Vancouver Canucks (I know, I spoiled the next pick!) for sixth and seventh, and it came down to the fact that I don’t see the back-end being strong enough in Arizona to help Anti Raanta.

They have a good crop of young talent throughout, so them sitting behind Vancouver likely won’t last long. They’re trending in the upward direction, and with John Chayka as their general manager, they look to be making some very smart moves throughout.

The Coyotes have plenty of young talent up front, with players like Max Domi, Clayton Keller, Dylan Strome and Tobias Rieder leading the way. Another name to keep an eye on for a bounce-back season is Anthony Duclair. The Coyotes re-signed him earlier in the off-season, and they will be hoping he can come back from what was a very disappointing season in 2016-17.

The back-end is led by Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who many believe to be a borderline elite defenseman. If he can mesh with new defensive partner Niklas Hjalmarsson, the defense could be the strength for the ‘Yotes this season.

Below them is Alex Goligoski, Jakob Chychrun, Luke Schenn and Kevin Connauton. The second pairing of Goligoski and Chychrun is a solid one, and they should be able to fill in as a reliable round out to the top four. Schenn and Connauton will be looked at as a weakness, but they have both had spurts throughout their career where they have been good top six defensemen. If they can do this in 2017-18, there is reason to believe the Coyotes can jump to sixth in the Pacific.

The goaltending situation in Arizona is rather precarious. While Antti Raanta has shown glimpses of promise, it’s a smaller sample size than most would like. His save percentage of .9242 from 2014-15 to 2016-17 ranks as third best in the NHL, and his Manpower-Adjust SV% of .9239 also ranks third. This is accompanied by him coming in at sixth in Home Plate SV% as well, with a .862 in that category. It’s just not a certainty that he can replicate this over a bigger sample size behind a weaker defense in Arizona.

Player to watch in 2017-18: Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Coyotes will be hoping Ekman-Larsson can come back fully fit and ready to improve on last season. He saw his point total drop to 39 last season, only better than his rookie season when he played in 48 games. If he can get back to his offensive ways and lead the way from the back, the Coyotes will be a much-improved outfit in 2017-18.