Neutral Zone: Midsummer musings on a variety of Coyotes topics

It’s that time of year when Coyotes storylines are as scarce as fans in the stands at the World Junior Championship. There are six more weeks until training camp begins and I’m flat-out bored. 

It doesn’t help that Arizona feels like the deep South with this oppressive humidity. I am largely confined to the house, my kids are back in school, my wife is prepping for the start of the ASU school year and my reconstructed hip limits my activities to two options: walking or hobbling.

Is it October yet?

In the interest of staving off boredom and answering several of your outstanding questions, I have constructed a neutral zone that reads more like a list of quick hitters.

World Juniors

By now you have seen those shots of the empty stands at Rogers Place for the World Junior Championship.

#WorldJuniors attendance, Day 1:
Czechia v Slovakia – 430
Latvia v Finland – 376
USA v Germany – 829

— NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) August 10, 2022

The more vindictive and amusing among you have screamed “Move the tournament. Edmonton isn’t a hockey market,” but there appear to be a few factors at work here. The tournament was rescheduled from its normal winter slot due to COVID, lots of Canadians are still on vacation because the school year starts after Labor Day, some of the top talent is missing from this tournament, those ticket prices are pretty high and yeah, Hockey Canada is reeling from a pair of high-profile investigations. 

Still, it’s hard to fully explain why the WJC looks more like an average NHL team’s weekday practice. Hopefully, Halifax will look better in December.

Coyotes prospects

Coyotes fans hoping to catch a glimpse of Logan’s Cooley’s dynamic offensive game finally have their chance. He has a goal and two points in two USA wins against Germany and Switzerland. The tougher competition lies ahead.

The only other Arizona prospect in this tournament is German defenseman Maksymilian Szuber, who has an assist in two games and is averaging a team-high 23:17 of ice time. Szuber was the Coyotes’ sixth-round pick (No. 163) this summer out of Munich in the DEL.

Two prospects who are not playing are 2021 No. 9 overall pick Dylan Guenther, who is rehabbing a knee injury sustained in the WHL playoffs for Edmonton, and German Julian Lutz, whom the Coyotes selected in the second round (No. 43) this summer.

I reached out to Lutz’s agent, Allain Roy, to ask why a player whom many analysts thought belonged on this roster was not on it (Lutz wasn’t even in the team’s prep camp). Roy said the Germans told Lutz they want him to play in the 2023 WJC in Halifax from Dec. 26 through Jan. 5. I’m not sure why Germany wouldn’t allow him to play in both — especially on this undermanned, overmatched team — but you see these head-scratching decisions from European teams from time to time. 

---

Barrett Hayton

Center Barrett Hayton is the lone unsigned Coyote or Roadrunner and there is little to report on the restricted free agent at this point. He did not have arbitration rights, he did not accept his qualifying offer and there is still plenty of time to get him signed before training camp begins.

Hayton’s overall numbers last season (10 goals, 24 points) weren’t overly impressive, but he was a strong defensive player and he had eight goals and 18 points over the season’s final 34 games once coach André Tourigny settled him into a more of a third-line center role to let him develop away from the top matchups he had faced earlier in the season. I still think Hayton is an important part of this team’s future and he could be poised for a breakout season.

Jakob Chychrun trade rumors

There have been a lot of rumors linking Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun to the Ottawa Senators. Based on my reporting, I can say pretty confidently that those rumors are not emanating from the Coyotes side of things. 

The Senators would love to acquire a player of Chychrun’s ilk, and I am confident that Chychrun would be willing to play for the Senators, an up-and coming team that has been fairly active this summer. By the way, the Chychrun family’s summer compound is located in Arnprior, about a 30-minute drive from the Senators’ arena in Kanata.

That said, GM Bill Armstrong has been firm about his high asking price for Chychrun and to date, no team has made an offer that will convince him to move the 24-year-old offensive defenseman on a team-friendly contract for three more years at an average annual value of $4.6 million.

There is a persistent narrative that the Coyotes need to trade Chychrun this summer because he could become a distraction during the season. First off, I don’t think that is in Chychrun’s nature even if he does want out of a franchise that is rebuilding and is a long way away from contending. Second, Armstrong won’t let it become a distraction, and you can bet that he will make that clear to Chychrun should he still be with the team when training camp arrives.

I still think it’s possible that Chychrun gets traded before camp, and I think there are more teams in the mix than just the Senators, but again, the price won’t come down. Despite opinions to the contrary, it should not come down. This is basic asset management. You don’t sell off an undervalued asset. That’s how you worsen a team.

Sure, the Coyotes run the risk of Chychrun turning in a second straight subpar season and further devaluing himself, but if he plays to his ability — ability that was apparent the previous two seasons — he could play his way out of Arizona and into a situation more to his liking. 

---

Andrew Ladd’s future

I reached out to Andrew Ladd’s agent, JP Barry, on Thursday and Barry told me that Ladd was still pondering his future. Barry, out of respect, is not pressing his client on such a monumental decision.

Ladd, 36, has one more year remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $5.5 million. He endured a grueling physical and mental battle to get himself back to the NHL after three years of toiling in the minors or out of the game. He accomplished so much last season, including reaching 1,000 career games and proving to himself that he could still play at an NHL level. 

On breakup-up day Ladd told me that his body was pretty banged up from the season. He missed six weeks last season to have surgery on the same knee on which he had two previous surgeries.  With all that he has accomplished — the games played milestone, the journey back and the two Stanley Cups won — it would not be a surprise to see Ladd walk away. 

We should know that decision within the next six weeks. You will remember that if he plays any professional games in 2022-23 while under his current contract, or if he retires before the season, the Coyotes will lose the conditional 2023 third-round pick that they acquired from the New York Islanders. Let’s be honest, that’s not all that important when weighed against the fate of a player’s career.

Goalie plans

As it stands right now, the Coyotes will go to camp with Karel Vejmelka and Jon Gillies as their top two goalies, with Ivan Prosvetov likely slated for another full season in Tucson.

I would be surprised to see that same goalie depth chart when the season begins. The Coyotes are still looking for an additional goalie, whether through waivers, trade, free agency or other means, which could provide some bargain opportunities as camp approaches and players find themselves without a home.

I even had a writer reach out to me wondering if the Coyotes might be interested in reaquiring Adin Hill from the Sharks for a low-round draft pick. That would be ironic since the Sharks gave Arizona Josef Kořenář and a 2022 second-round pick for Hill last summer, and Hill would certainly fit the profile of a goalie who split or come close to splitting time with Vejmelka.

I think that is the situation the Coyotes are looking to achieve. They learned last year how dangerous it was for the psyche of the entire team to have a goalie (Carter Hutton) who did not give them a chance to win, and they learned how valuable a player of Scott Wedhewood’s ilk could be. Stay tuned. Bill Armstrong will remain patient on this one.

---

Updating the Coyotes’ UFAs

Here is an update on the Coyotes who became unrestricted free agents after last season.

Loui Eriksson: Eriksson, who just turned 37 last month, wants to keep playing in 2022-23. It will most likely be in Sweden, but he is also looking at opportunities in the Swiss league.

Phil Kessel: Kessel wants to keep playing but will likely have to accept a short-term, low-dollar contract to do so. I think Kessel can still help a team’s power play.

Anton Strålman: Strålman is currently back in Sweden and is keeping all of his options open, between returning to the NHL, playing in Sweden or retiring. He told me near the end of last season that his family’s feelings on the matter will factor greatly in his decision. They already had to move clear across the country when the Florida Panthers traded him to Arizona last season.

Jay Beagle: I have not heard any news on Beagle’s plans for next season. Beagle will turn 37 on Oct. 16.

Antoine Roussel: All that Roussel’s agent, Allan Walsh, would say is that Roussel “intends to be playing next season.” He did not elaborate on the possibilities. UPDATE: Roussel told me this: “I’m still hoping to sign a deal in the NHL. We’ll see if it’s possible. Otherwise, I’m not close to the idea of playing in Europe.”

Johan Larsson: Larsson has a deal in place with Brynäs of the Swedish league (Victor Söderström’s old team). Larsson had substantial offers from several NHL teams. He just wanted to play a bigger role than what was being offered so he is going home. The Coyotes dealt him to Washington at last season’s trade deadline.

Dmitrij Jaškin: Jaškin has signed to play with SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL.

Alex Galchenyuk: Galchenyuk’s agent, Pat Brisson said that Galchenyuk is still mulling a few NHL options.

Harri Säteri: Per his agent, Todd Diamond, Säteri had a deadline of July 15 to accept a contract offer in the Swiss league so he signed a one-year deal to play with EHC Biel-Bienne next season.

Gila River Arena

I still have not seen firm dates for the renovation of Gila River Arena and that planning could be a factor in the current calendar, but a quick glance at the Coyotes’ former home shows a dearth of events.

From now until March 11, there are only 15 dates booked at the arena and few of those dates are major attractions. As noted previously in this space, if the Coyotes are successful in getting their Tempe arena approved, Gila River Arena will have a hard time staying above water as the third-best venue in a market a fraction the size of Los Angeles.

---

ECHL affiliation

The Coyotes and the ECHL’s Rapid City Rush severed ties on Thursday, ending a three-year affiliation agreement. I expect the Coyotes to announce a new affiliate within the next few weeks. The Rapid City affiliation was signed while John Chayka was the Coyotes’ GM.

The Greenville (South Carolina) Swamp Rabbits, the Allen (Texas) Americans and the Wichita (Kansas) Thunder are the only other current ECHL teams without an affiliate, although other affiliations could be ending.. Allen and Wichita make more sense geographically. The Coyotes will play a preseason game in Wichita against the St. Louis Blues on Sept. 24.

ECHL affiliations have some, if limited, value to NHL teams. Some players need a lower level to gain reps and develop their games, much like the Double-A level in baseball. It is most often used as a development league for goaltenders because there are so few spots available in the AHL and so few games in which to gain experience. It is also used for call-ups when AHL teams need bodies.

Last season the ECHL boasted 70 former players on NHL opening-day rosters, including the Coyotes’ Jay Beagle (Idaho, 2006-07); Carter Hutton (Toledo, 2011-12) and Antoine Roussel (Reading, 2010-11). Many of those players were goalies, many of those players were depth players, and the overall number is somewhat misleading because a lot of those stints in the ECHL were short and used more as conditioning stints than assignments, but again, there is some value and the Coyotes have no plans to forego the ECHL entirely, even if there are other development options outside the AHL in Europe.

Top photo via Getty Images: Coyotes prospect Logan Cooley competes against Germany at the World Junior Championship in Edmonton.

Follow Craig Morgan on Twitter