Arizona Coyotes: 2014-2015 Season Player Reviews-D-Men/Goalies

A Season In Review: Rating The Arizona Coyotes Individual Players-Defensemen/Goalies

Part 2 of 2

Ok, so as a team the Arizona Coyotes did not meet expectations. I know it’s a team sport, and team play is integral to team success, but I’m going to give my evaluation of the players performance individually. My rating system will be from A – F …you know like your school report card.

There was no doubt that one of the pieces which fell apart last season was the defense and goaltending. Let’s see how I rate these players:

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Andrew Campbell – ( C ) Andrew contributed well in the 33 games he played. His physical presence was definitely welcomed on the blue-line. At 6’4″, 206 lbs, he was able to show some toughness. He is the senior player (at 27) on the young Coyote defense, and like the other D-men, he needs to improve, and he will with experience. He only took 10 minutes in penalties, and to me that shows restraint, and good common sense.
Klas Dahlbeck – ( C ) Klas came over in the Vermette trade with the Blackhawks, and he played pretty solid. He got three assists in 19 games and didn’t take excessive penalty minutes (6). He played in three regular season games with Portland, getting one assist. He also performed well in the playoffs, playing in all five games and collecting another assist. Like Campbell, Dahlbeck possess some good size at 6′ 3″, 207 lbs. You can never have too many D-men that size to intimidate the opposing forwards. I like his potential, and see him fighting for a spot with all the other young, talented defensemen in the Arizona Coyotes system. Philip Samuelsson may give him some competition for a spot.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson – (A) OEL had a dream year. He performed in the NHL All-Star game. He tied a franchise record for the number of goals by a defenseman. He had ten power play goals, seven game winners, and took 264 shots tying him for 11th in the NHL. He is currently playing for his country (Sweden) in the IIHF World Championship tournament and is in the top ten in scoring with 5 points in 3 games. He is the only defenseman in the top ten in scoring in the tournament. Not much else can be said for this young hockey player, except that he is special, and the Arizona Coyotes are very fortunate to have him playing for them. I look for OEL to take over the captaincy when Shane Doan retires. He already has an “A” on his sweater, so he’s heading in that direction. He has become THE go-to guy on the team, and shows why he’s an All-Star every time he takes the ice.
John Moore – (B-) John came over in the Yandle trade with the N.Y. Rangers and has been a pleasant surprise. He teamed up with Connor Murphy, and the two make a good defense team on the blue-line. Again, John has size as well, going 6′ 3″, 202 lbs. He contributed one goal and four assists in 19 games this past season. It seems the Coyotes defense is young, big, and strong. That can only help to make the team stronger next season. Moore was a good acquisition by GM Don Maloney. Now get us one more experienced D-man, and we will be set.

Connor Murphy – (B-) Connor really came into his own this season. He got four goals, and three assists in 73 games, and played solid defense. His game is hitting and at 6′ 4″, 212 lbs he doesn’t back down from anyone. He still needs to mature (he looks like a 17 year old) and he will with time. With Murphy/Moore, OEL/Stone, Campbell/Dahlbeck/Samuelsson the blue-line has some really nice players. Murphy has that physicality to his game which make him valuable. Forwards will think twice before going into the corners with Murphy. I like that.
Michael Stone – ( C ) Michael got switched to pairing up with OEL, and he admits it has helped his game. He learns from OEL every game, and Stone is a pretty reliable D-man, and needs to use his wicked shot from the point more often. He can actually be as effective as Derek Morris was from the point. His shot is accurate, and he otherwise is a stay at home type defenseman. I see his play improving next season just from playing alongside OEL.

GOALIES:

Mike Smith – (C-) I was ready to grade Smith lower, but then realized he started turning things around in March. He didn’t get much help from his young defense, and yet he realizes the team threw a lot of money at him ($5.667M) to play better than he did. He is currently playing in the IIHF World Championship tournament for his native Canada. His numbers are much better, and it shows that if he has a better D in front of him, along with some offense support — he can win games. He is doing everything this summer to turn his game around, and next season will be a vital one to his own self confidence, and the team’s success. We all want the Smitty back who dominated in the ’11-’12 season when he led the team to the Conference Finals. Smitty… we need you, so please show up next season!
Louis Domingue – ( C ) Louis played some good backup to Mike Smith, and had decent numbers to show for it. He had a 1-2-1 record with .911 SV%, and a 2.73 GAA. He had the thrill of his young career when he beat the Canadians in Montreal. He also played a vital role in keeping the Portland Pirates in the Calder Cup playoffs. He had a 2.37 GAA, a .925 SV % and a shutout in four games. If the Arizona Coyotes don’t sign another backup goalie, Domingue may be the one by default. He has the skills, let’s see if he can support Smith and help the team allow less goals next season.

That does it for the players evaluations. I suspect the roster may change a bit over the summer, with free agency, prospects trying to break the line-up, and possibly more trades.

Stay with Howlin Hockey for all your Arizona Coyotes news and thanks for reading!

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