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I can’t remember a time when Phoenix’s major professional sports scene was such a study in extremes. On the hot end of the thermometer, the Suns and Mercury made it to the NBA and WNBA finals, respectively, and the Cardinals are the only undefeated team in the NFL; looking very much like Super Bowl contenders.
On the frigid end of the gauge, the Diamondbacks climbed into a tie for the worst record in Major League Baseball thanks to Josh VanMeter’s amusing and impactful walk-off homer in the season finale, and the Coyotes currently have the worst goal differential in the NHL after three games.
While D-backs fans went from anger to indifference toward what they witnessed this season, most Coyotes fans appear to be embracing The Great Rebuild, as we have branded it here at PHNX Sports. Everybody knows what’s at stake for the Coyotes over the next couple of seasons. However the standings and the ensuing draft lotteries play out, I’ll be here to chronicle it all.
Before we get to your questions, an apology. I did not host a mailbag last month. It was one of several things that slipped through the cracks during the insanity of the PHNX Sports site launch. My bad. The monthly mailbag will still be a staple of my coverage.
I will continue to call for questions via Twitter, but if you are a member and haven’t checked out our Discord channel, follow this link. It’s another way to chat with Coyotes fans, or fans of the other teams that we cover via those team-specific channels.
Let’s get to your questions.
Via Twitter
Neighbors tried to finish a check on him hard into the bench just before that verbal altercation. Chychrun obviously took exception to such a play late in a lopsided game.
With all of the roster changes this offseason, and so many new players to get to know, I haven’t had the chance to talk to Schmaltz yet, but it’s on my list.
All sides are putting a brave face on it right now, but it certainly bears watching as the season progresses. Here’s what Chychrun told me Tuesday when I asked him about his power-play role and the increase in defensive-zone starts.
“I’ve had a number of D-zone starts but that’s just sometimes the way the games go. Sometimes, you just have to go out and do the job that’s asked of you to do. That’s my mind set. I can really only control what I can control. I like playing in all situations on the ice. I take pride in all three zones so no matter where I am, I’m going to be trying to play to the best of my ability for the team and do whatever is asked of me.”
It’s a decision that the coaching staff will have to make based on further evaluation. Both have had their issues away from the puck, but they are not alone in that regard. It will be interesting to see how the staff manages the blue line once Kyle Capobianco (still week to week with a lower-body injury) returns, and once Vladislav Provolnev gets some reps under his belt with Tucson. Both Söderström and Timmins are waivers exempt, so the Coyotes can assign both of them to Tucson without fear of losing them to another team.
I think Carter Hutton would be one. I didn’t expect him to struggle quite like this, but again, he hasn’t had much help and it’s only two games. The other surprise to me is just how little impact Dmitrij Jaškin has had on the ice. I didn’t expect him to replicate his KHL goal-scoring success in the NHL, a much better league, but I expected to notice him from the hash marks down. He has to get back to what made him successful in the KHL: being a net-front guy and being a hard-edged player.
I doubt it will last long. I would expect him to get another opportunity soon, but as I wrote just above this question, he needs to get back to what made him successful in the KHL. Transitioning back to the NHL from another league can take time, even if a player has played in the NHL before. It had been 2.5 years since Jaškin played an NHL game. Don’t judge him yet.
I have not heard for certain, but I do not think that Callahan is among the organization’s highest rated defensive prospects. Maybe he can change that in his senior season at Providence.
If you’re talking about the on-ice product, there’s only so much they can do with a stripped-down roster. It’s a marketing challenge right now because almost everything is about the future. There’s the return to the Kachina, the proposed Tempe arena, all those draft picks. If you’re looking for that sort of engagement from the on-ice product, you’ll have to dive deep into the development of players such as Clayton Keller, Jakob Chychrun, Lawson Crouse and Christian Fischer.
It’s way too early to draw any meaningful evaluations on those players, but Doan has nine points in six games for ASU, and Lipkin has 11 points in eight games (third in the USHL) for the Chicago Steel so they have to be thrilled about those developments. Guenther is off to a bit a slow start with the Edmonton Oil Kings. Fedotov has just one goal in 13 games for Torpedo in the KHL.
If they did, they would never say that. GM Bill Armstrong has a relationship with Hutton from their days in St. Louis and raves about him as a person. Goalie coach Corey Schwab also coached him in the minors (Worcester) and Phil Housley coached him in Buffalo.
Thanks, nom de non for answering my mailbag question.
Analysts to whom I have spoken suggested that he was both scrambly and not tracking the puck well. Both could be a product of the defense in front of him, but the Columbus and St. Louis games exposed similar issues (he did not play in Buffalo). I’m sure that Corey Schwab is addressing everything this week in one-on-one work. I have seen one-on-one work.
As for Keller, I just think he looks a lot better overall. He told me at media day that he had added seven pounds and it shows both when you look at him and when he is on the ice. He has had a pretty good start. Let’s see if he can sustain it and find that consistency that has been lacking the past three seasons.
I am not aware of any rule. I think it is just tradition. I am all for more creativity.
They have access both in season and in the offseason.
No.
We don’t know enough to judge Tourigny’s systems yet, but he was dealt a difficult hand with this roster. That’s no secret. I have talked to a lot of people who think that Tourigny is an astute hockey mind. There’s only so much you can do when the roster is deficient in several areas.
Only rumors, including Vegas, a team for which I am certain he would like to play.
Do you think any team would claim forwards such as Andrew Ladd or Loui Eriksson if the Coyotes placed them on waivers?
It is part of the discussion and I think Chychrun has the right mind set after talking to him and talking to assistant coach Phil Housley about this Tuesday, but he wants to play in all situations and he wants to contribute offensively. That is harder to do when your power-play minutes are limited.
I think it’s going to be difficult to accurately evaluate Tourigny for a while, given the hand that he was dealt with so many new faces and an underwhelming roster.
The NHL and Adidas won’t allow it. The NHL and Adidas announced that when they rolled out the jerseys. I think it’s a bad idea. They were popular in multiple markets.
The organization wants Prosvetov to play a lot of games in Tucson. He needs more development. The staff is unanimous in that evaluation. He may get a game in the NHL here or there due to circumstances, but the plan is for him to play in Tucson. It’s impossible to say what his timeline is, and it’s important to remember that goalies generally take longer than position players. Provestov already has some NHL experience, but they won’t throw him into a full-time role until they think he is ready for it.
It is early, but I like Crouse’s game in all three zones. He has been responsible defensively, he has brought a physical edge, and he is going hard to the net and generating chances. So far, he is taking advantage of this fresh start.
The answer to the first question is zero. Doan isn’t even ready for pro hockey, let alone the NHL. He’s a college freshman. He’ll need time to develop his game and his body. Let’s wait and see how that process progresses.
That is certainly a possibility that they will consider. I would actually be surprised if they executed all eight picks. It would also be an NHL record for picks in the first two rounds.
I don’t know if that will happen, but if it does, I don’t think we’re close to that point yet. He has only played two games.
I also have my doubts. I don’t think the financial picture is nearly as rosy as they paint it. I’m surprised that the initial report on them leaving didn’t also explore whether those additional shows are actually available. I did the story three years ago and was told by multiple promoters that they do not exist. There is a finite number of credible shows with a lot of competition in this market.
You know how I hate that sort of thing. I will just say that I don’t think that the door is completely closed, despite the public posturing.
I asked about it on Tuesday. More coming on that topic soon…
It’s a fair question. What makes a large enough sample? I don’t think that we are there yet, but he is going to have show marked imrovement soon.
Via Discord
I’ll let readers vote on this one, but because I have children, this is one of 1,000 children’s movies that I have watched and it is still among the best.
I think they just want him to get a little more accustomed to the North American game. There is less space and time. I think he struggled a little bit with making plays and reads in the preseason. It’s a matter of timing and reps. Tucson is a good place to get that work. I would expect to see him back up at some point soon.
Nothing official, but I am certain that they are exploring both options.
André Tourigny said that it was the plan all along to play him in the season opener and the home opener. I don’t think you abandon a plan because of one game. We’ll see how long Hutton’s leash is, however. He has to be better, and he is certainly feeling the pressure now. A goaltender can bleed confidence into the team in front of him, but he can also steal that confidence if he doesn’t play well.
Again, I think Hutton will be granted more opportunities to right the ship, but if he doesn’t soon, they’ll have to think about other options. The team needs to feel confident in the goaltender behind it.
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