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PHNX Coyotes monthly mailbag: You asked, I tried to answer

June 20, 2022

My family has reached the worst part of dog ownership: the time to say goodbye.

We rescued Beau, a Lhasa Apso, when he was 1½. He has been a part of our core unit for the past 15½ years.

In that time, we learned that he had a wide vocal range and never hesitated to voice his wishes. We learned that he was an expert beggar, especially from his bench seat at the kitchen table when we egged him on. We learned that he loved taking long walks behind our energetic Shih Tzu, Sophie, and we learned that he hated to be held (he would always squirm), but he never minded a good scratch or attention on his own terms.

That all changed within the past few years when his rear hips started to fail him, and then he lost his hearing and his eyesight in slow succession. He often got confused and would call out for rescue.

Longtime Coyotes fans and friends George Fallar and Bea Wyatt made life easier on Beau when they donated a ramp that he uses to get out the back door in comfort, but as his senses failed him, he wanted more and more to be held and consoled.

Beau turned 17 on June 5. He has lived longer than any of my previous dogs. Right around his birthday, we noticed a shift that CBD, pain killers and affection could not cure. He was shaking because he was in pain for a variety of diagnosed reasons.

Our M.O. for our dogs has always been to let them let us know when it’s time. We won’t put a dog down because its needs have become inconvenient for us. We committed to care for that life when we took it in and that means hard times as well as fun times. The point of no return comes when we know our dog is in pain that cannot be managed.

We are up on the Mogollan Rim for a family vacation which we decided to dedicate to Beau, whom you can you see in his glory years in the top photo on another family vacation in 2014 up in Jackson, Wyoming.

I don’t know if it was the right decision to make him hold on another week so that we could say a proper goodbye, but he seems to be enjoying the mountain breeze, the cool air and all the new scents, and our kids (17 and 15) are focusing on him more than they would at home. They seem to be coming to terms with the full meaning of the circle of life.

I am dedicating the June edition of the PHNX Coyotes mailbag to Beau, a longtime family member who will pass next Monday in the comfort of our home with all of us around him. As I write this, Beau is asleep in a sunbeam on the wood floor of our cabin, at perfect peace.

Let’s get to your questions.

From Discord

The Russian invasion of Ukraine complicates matters quite a bit, but even before that world-altering event began in February, I didn’t get the sense that the Coyotes were in any rush to get Fedotov to North America.

Here is everything that player development coach Alex Henry told me a few months ago about Fedotov.

“He’s better than the U20 league, but he still has some things to learn as a pro at the KHL level. He’s a sizable winger that’s really good along the wall. His small-area game with his puck skills is good. He has no problem with physicality, either throwing checks, protecting pucks or taking checks, and then making plays in those areas. He can play with some pace, too. He can either get in on forechecks or attack with the rush so we’re pretty excited about his skill set.

“Where he has to round out his game is more through responsible routes and the timing of those and you’ve seen some progress on them. And then he’s got to improve in some risk management to gain more playing time at the KHL level.”

I spoke with Ferguson jr. about this very thing and he also noted the importance of veterans in bringing stability. I could see this happening and in some ways, it is already underway with the signing of 27-year-old Czech defenseman Ronald Knot.

You’d have to go off the draft lists. Here are a few.

Here is Craig Button’s final list for TSN.

Here is Corey Pronman’s list for The Athletic.

Here is Chris Peters’ list for Daily Faceoff.

Actually, I don’t think there are that many teams that can take on bad contracts when you examine their cap situations and the players whom they still must re-sign. There are a lot of teams bumping up against the cap that want to make moves and can’t until they move some money off their books. I think there will be plenty of opportunities for the Coyotes as the urgency for GMs builds around the league. You may remember that I wrote about all of those contracts recently.

My perfect breakfast is an omelette with Italian sausage, roasted red peppers and mozzarella along with a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice and press coffee.

He’s still exciting to think about, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Joakim Kemell or one of the top two defensemen were the choice either.

I often imagine the possibilities of high-speed rail in the U.S. Imagine not having to be dependent on the shitty, consumer-unfriendly airline industry. That said, high-speed rail only makes sense in certain corridors of the U.S. where the market demand could make it financially viable (think Northeast, Upper Midwest and Pacific Coast). Europe works because it has a population of 747 million; more than twice the United States. Sigh.

They certainly have enough picks to do so, but taking a goalie that high is fraught with risk, given the position’s long and unpredictable development curve. I don’t think that they would avoid the pick if they felt that it was warranted, however, and they certainly won’t pass on a goalie just to appease Ivan Prosvetov. This league is all about competition. If a player can’t handle that reality, he probably doesn’t belong in the league.

There are too many variables for me to guess on that, but I don’t think that GM Bill Armstrong will budge off of his high asking price. He has to get requisite value — defined by him; not others. If he doesn’t, Chychrun is still under contract for three years and will have to adjust to the idea of returning.

The benefit of the draft is that it brings more teams into play than the trade deadline, and GMs often feel a sense urgency to make things happen at the draft. We’ll see…

Wrigleyville is a vibrant neighborhood of restaurants, bars, theaters and shops. I absolutely think that it is worth checking out.

Not yet, but I hope to check in on that soon. I would imagine that the next assistant coach will be someone with whom André Tourigny has a relationship.

I honestly hope not for the sake of Glendale residents, but when I think about the Valley’s economics and size, I have a hard time believing that the third-best arena in a market this size — one that is far from the core of the city — will have a tough go of it.

Glendale City manager Kevin Phelps used the Forum in LA as a blueprint for how Gila River Arena can achieve success, but three arenas of similar size in an LA greater metropolitan market of 18.58 million is one thing. Three similar arenas in a market of around 5 million is another.

Question that vanished from my replies on whether the Coyotes intend to bring Vili Saarijärvi to North America next season.

The last time I checked in with Saarijärvi’s agent, Jay Grossman, less than a month ago, there had been no discussions with the Coyotes about Saarijärvi coming to North America. Saarijärvi told me he would like to play here.

lol. It does seem to be headed in that direction. Check out this illustration of Colorado’s playoff dominance that NHL Stats sent me.

Since the playoffs went to a best-of-seven format for all four series in 1986-87 (16 wins needed to win the Cup), the 1987-88 Edmonton Oilers hold the best postseason record at 16-2 (.889 winning percentage). Colorado can match that with a sweep of the Lightning.

Sorry, I have no idea. I have not asked outright, although I have been told by multiple people that Glendale intends to maintain ice-making capabilities at GRA.

It is planned for the Ice Den.

Capitals fans will insist that he is a reformed man, but that’s because they are Capitals fans. I still think that Tom Wilson is an accidentally-on-purpose dirty player, but as a couple of insiders suggested to me, Brad Marchand may be the dirtiest. Unlike Wilson, he doesn’t fight to offer some balance to his tactics, either.

From Twitter

GM Bill Armstrong told me previously that Strålman was a player whom the Coyotes were interested in re-signing. Strålman told me that he would absolutely like to return. I don’ think there is any urgency to get this done before the draft, but Armstrong told me discussions have begun with a number of the Coyotes’ free agents.

I think they will sign a free agent or acquire one in a trade. They do not believe that Ivan Prosvetov is ready to become a regular NHL goalie. I’m not sure that Harri Säteri did enough in his short stint to earn a contract, but we’ll see how the offseason unfolds.

Love your optimism, Jack. In this purely hypothetical scenario (hint: the Coyotes will not make the playoffs next season), I do not see Gila River Arena being an option. That relationship is broken beyond repair.

Few (if any) of the draft picks will be there and Dylan Guenther is not AHL eligible due to his age so I don’t think the prospect pool will impact Tucson much next season. Improvement will have to come through better health and some signings of veteran players to bring stability to what was one of the AHL’s youngest teams.

I am told that he has been working out steadily and that he has been cleared to skate, although it hadn’t happened as of last week. I think they are pretty happy with his progress.

I’m sure you saw this tweet from Keller’s awesome backyard:

Here’s my #WeakSideStrong challenge I challenge @CMcAvoy44 let’s go ! https://t.co/Ukiy1JgZid pic.twitter.com/mEUw08PQpt
— Clayton Keller (@ClaytonKeller37) June 17, 2022

It has to do with revenue sharing. The Coyotes regularly get the maximum amount of league revenue sharing (profitable teams contribute to that pot) because they regularly lose money. There is also the complaint of the Coyotes’ new home at ASU impacting hockey-related revenue (we don’t know how much it will yet).

What gets lost in this argument is the importance of this media market to the NHL when crafting TV deals and national corporate sponsorships. I don’t know how much one of the nation’s largest media markets adds to that pie, but NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman told me last week that it matters.

Not that I am aware of.

Any update on the arena?

Any question that asks me to predict the future.

The answer to the first question would depend on the manner in which I receive the information. Sometimes, information is passed off the record (vs. on background or on the record) which means you cannot report it. Period.

Sometimes, information is of such a personal nature that you have to weigh whether revealing it is a journalistic necessity. Those instances are weighed case by case.

As for the second question, I’d have Shane Doan at the top of the list. He’d find a way to relate to my kids, he’d find a way to have fun with them, and by the time he left, their self-esteem would be through the roof.

Attending the draft is more of a recent occurrence for me, but this year’s draft will be No. 8.

We haven’t decided on a maple syrup brand yet, mostly because I am still shopping for lower consumer reviews than Kroger and Log Cabin.

For now, I think they are staying put. There really isn’t a place for them to play in the Valley because the Coliseum needs a lot of work and ASU is not an option.

Long-term, it will be interesting to see what happens. Coyotes president Xavier Gutierrez revealed to me in a lengthy Q&A in February that the Coyotes expect a lot more commitment from the City of Tucson at Tucson Arena.

“Having the Roadrunners in Arizona is certainly something that we are committed to, but there’s some challenges down in Tucson. That facility is a challenge. It doesn’t have the type of assets that you would want in order to try to make it financially viable. We have a lease there and we’re not exploring necessarily moving them until we explore what our options could potentially be.”

Some renovations of the arena have already begun, including luxury boxes and a party deck, but there is only so much that can be done with the arena. I think it is important for the Coyotes to maintain a footprint in Arizona’s second largest city as they look to grow the game, but this will ultimately be a financial decision. The lease in Tucson has the same general timeline as the Coyotes’ lease of ASU’s multi-purpose arena.

Leah has yet to reveal her skill set. Given the fact that Petey and I are former goalies, neither one of us can boast a truly credible slapper, but I can promise you that Petey’s is better than mine. My strength is my snapper in tight.

Can I choose another? I’ll take 2003.

I understand why you noted 2015 because there were so many great players in that draft and the Coyotes did not get any of them in the first round. If I had to make a more recent choice, that would be it.

There weren’t a lot of great players who went after Mark Visentin in 2010. There were a few, but that happens every year. The 2007 draft stings because of Kyle Turris, but here’s my reasoning: The 2003 NHL Draft is widely considered the best draft of this millennium. The Coyotes didn’t even give themselves a chance because they didn’t have a first- or second-round pick.

How much would landing Ryan Getzlaf or Patrice Bergeron or any number of other players have altered the trajectory of this franchise way back when it was just getting started in Glendale? Butterfly effect indeed.

I don’t see the two-time defending champs getting swept, but no worries. Petey has great respect for all of the people at ESPN. He loves being around them and he loves covering the Stanley Cup Playoffs, even if it means missing the company of his two best buds, Craig Morgan and Leah Merrall .

A you know, Petey never complains or experiences anxiety about being away from his family or PHNX. I think it’s the nightly meditation that keeps him so centered. And the incense burning.

I think those deals are the exception rather than the rule. Buffalo absolutely acquired Ben Bishop’s nearly $5 million cap hit to get to the cap floor and they only have to pay him $750,000, but there are not a lot of teams in Buffalo’s situation while there are a ton of teams that are bumping up against the cap with contracts that they need to move.

If a GM needs to move a bad contract, he can’t come to Bill Armstrong and say: “Hey, this was the market for Ben Bishop so this needs to be the market for my guy.” Armstrong can correctly note that Bishop was a unique situation and other such opportunities do not exist before setting his price. In the end, the need to move a contract will still provide the Coyotes with leverage. I think there will be opportunities.

I don’t think so. He did not impress the hockey operations staff, although he had a few good games late in the season. My sense at the end of the season was that they would move on from him.

It all depends on what he does at training camp. Bill Armstrong has said repeatedly that he will never deny opportunity to a player who proves that he is ready to make that leap. That said, there is much to consider with Guenther.

The Coyotes are going to lose a lot again next season. Does it make sense for Guenther to play in that environment or go back to the Edmonton Oil Kings where he would be able to dominate the WHL and perhaps get that opportunity to play in the Memorial Cup that he missed this season (he may also miss the World Junior Championship)?

And what does ready mean? It doesn’t make sense to play Guenther in the bottom six. He has to play with skill. Is he ready for the matchups and ice time that Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz face on a nightly basis? It’s a big leap from the CHL to the NHL. I still see a lot of value in Guenther playing one more season in the WHL, and then maybe spending some time in the AHL when he is age eligible.

I don’t see the Coyotes taking on expensive contracts. They make take on big cap hits if it means also acquiring draft or prospect assets (the M.O. that they employed last summer), but they are not looking to acquire major pieces at this stage of the rebuild.

That’s up to your personal choice, but there are 19 Marriott properties within four miles of ASU’s multi-purpose arena and two Hyatts and the Tempe Mission Palms within walking distance. I wrote a guide to the area that included this information.

I think the odds are excellent that they will land an impact player with one of those four picks, and they have two more soon afterward for a total of six picks between No. 27 and No. 45. Here’s a graphic that The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn published that looks at such odds.

If the Coyotes are concerned that a guy whom they want may be gone, they could package a couple picks to move up, but based on what draft experts are saying, I don’t think that there is a big difference (at this point of evaluation) in the second group of players beyond the top eight or 10.

I don’t know yet and I don’t think the C is all that important to coach André Tourigny. He thinks more in terms of a leadership group than he does in terms of one captain. I tend to agree with this philosophy. The obsession with having one designated leader is a bit silly. Multiple perspectives and voices are always better than one.

His agent told me that it is still too early to talk about contracts discussions.

I think the Coyotes will get an impact player at No. 3, no matter what Montréal does at No. 1, and even No. 2 if they opt to trade for that pick.

You heard correctly. There is a provision whereby the Coyotes can use the community arena to set up temporary team areas until the annex is completed. ASU is onboard with this proposal. I have asked.