When the NHL realigned the teams and divisions for the 2013-14 season some rivalries were taken away simply by default. The Detroit Red Wings were moved from the Western Conference to the East thereby removing one of the most storied rivalries in the NHL with the Chicago Blackhawks. The glass half full prognosticators will be quick to point out that by moving Detroit to the East even more traditional rivalries can be renewed with Boston, Montreal and Toronto. The same can be said of the Phoenix Coyotes franchise.
For those old enough to remember, NHL hockey wasn't always in Arizona. The original Winnipeg Jets headed for the desert in 1996 after quarreling with the city about the possibilities of a new arena and new ownership couldn't be found to keep the franchise in Manitoba. While support for the NHL hasn't exactly exploded in the southwest, the Coyotes have managed to put a serviceable, nay, competitive product out on the ice. With captain Shane Doan the lone remaining player to have played in the original franchise city, the old Smythe Division rivalries with the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings are long gone. Until now.
With coach Dave Tippett leading the franchise from last place to a division title in 2012 and a conference finals appearance, the Coyotes have also stabilized their ownership for the first time since 2009. The new (and improved) Pacific Division features some old friends in the Kings, Flames, Oilers, Canucks along with the Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks. They missed out on the playoffs last season, but the Coyotes are hoping a full season will help them return to the postseason.
On offense the arrival of Mike Ribeiro will hopefully spark some goal scoring from a team that finished in the bottom third in scoring. The Coyotes return Radim Vrbata, Antoine Vermette, Mikkel Boedker and Doan as the top scoring threats among the forwards. The youth movement in Phoenix isn't exactly bursting with talent but 2013 top pick Max Domi will be competing for time on the big club.
The strength of the club lies on defense as evidenced by the presence of two defensemen among the top five scorers. Keith Yandle and Oliver Ekman-Larsson represent the marque talent among the Phoenix blue liners. They are supported dependable veterans Rostislav Klesla, Derek Morris and Zbynek Michalek. While Yandle has been th proven commodity over the past few years, Ekman-Larsson has emerged as the potentially more dominant player.
In goal Mike Smith is the man who will get most of the starts. Backup Thomas Greiss played well during limited action last season in San Jose. He will spell Smith in net now that Jason LaBarbara signed with the Oilers. The fate of the Coyotes season, fair or not, will rely on the capable shoulders of Mike Smith. As he struggled for periods last year, so did his club. The Coyotes simply do not have enough offensive weapons to outscore opponents consistently and will need Smith to steal games to be competitive.
I love the placement of the teams and the playoff emphasis on the division match ups for playoff seeding. The coming season may not be kind to Phoenix and they will struggle to make the playoffs. In spite of Dave Tippett's track record for success with the Coyotes, they'll need a lot of things to go in their favor if they want a return to the second season. Scoring will continue to be an issue in a division loaded with teams that can fill the net (only San Jose scored less). The good news is that the ownership drama has ended, the bad news is that the Coyotes will be golfing much earlier than they want to next year.
Prediction: Sixth