Arizona Coyotes: Steve Downie – One Tough Dude

By William Grigsby |

New Arizona Coyotes Addition Will Add Toughness To Lineup…And He Won’t Have To Fight Doan Anymore

When I first heard that the Arizona Coyotes had signed Steve Downie to a free agent contract, I was a bit surprised. I mean even though he may be known for his physical play and fisticuffs, he’s not a half bad hockey player. He’ been around the NHL for eight years, with various teams including: Philadelphia (twice), Tampa Bay, Colorado, Pittsburgh, and finally landing here in the desert of Arizona.

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I suppose most everyone who attributes tough guys with not having too much hockey ability, and that they are being used mostly as an enforcer, haven’t looked at Downie’s statistics. He has scored 73 goals in 408 NHL games, and 117 assists giving him 190 points, or a 0.47 points per game average. That would put him right behind Arizona Coyotes top scorer last season, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who had a 0.52. Surprising, huh?

His stats are not half bad:

I will be the first to tell you that I certainly hope Downie can tone his physicality down a notch to two, so as to not take dumb penalties. He can be tough, and stick up for this team-mates without putting the team into a penalty kill situation. When that happened last season, the Arizona Coyotes did not come out on top too often with a 76.70% penalty kill ratio, putting them 29th in that category.

So, hopefully Dowie’s offensive contributions won’t be negated by him sitting in the penalty box, while his team struggles to kill off his penalties.

Downie is only 27, and the Arizona Coyotes are pleased to add him to the roster to bolster their toughness, AND add some scoring depth. I could see him on a fourth line with players like Kyle Chipchura (another tough customer), and Joe Vitale.

He could also fit in with new addition Brad Richardson, who plays a physical/hustle style, and maybe even a Boyd Gordon. Head Coach Dave Tippett is very resourceful at switching his lines around until he finds the right chemistry he is seeking, and the players function well together. If it doesn’t seem to be working, he is not hesitant and changing things up.

I will tell you one thing with the addition of Downie and John Scott, the big brutal teams like the Kings and Ducks will meet their match if they attempt to push the smaller Arizona Coyotes around. Downie is not a big player by any means, coming in a 5′ 11″, 191 lbs, but I wouldn’t test his patience level. Ask Shane Doan if he’s a tough dude or not.

In the fight to get puck possession numbers up, which can lead to scoring opportunities a guy like Downie will get his space simply because the opposing player doesn’t want to intimidate him for fear of getting thrashed. Downie has a short trigger, and NHL players know this.

Let’s see how well Steve Downie helps the Arizona Coyotes. One thing for certain, other NHL players WILL respect him.

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