Arizona Coyotes: Predicted Preseason Roster vs. Post-Deadline Roster
By Alex Temes
Second Line:
My Predictions: Boedker – Hanzal – Doan
Current Line: Rieder – Hanzal – Sekac
More from Coyotes News
- How the Arizona Coyotes could line-up with Logan Cooley signed
- Report: Logan Cooley could be closer to signing Arizona Coyotes ELC
- Arizona Coyotes sign Matias Maccelli to three-year deal
- Ivan Prosvetov signs one-year deal with Arizona Coyotes
- Arizona Coyotes cut Galchenyuk after reported police incident
My only correct prediction in this line was Martin Hanzal, with Coach Tippett recently deciding to promote Antoine Vermette to the first line.
My preseason selections shouldn’t stand out as much of a surprise as Hanzal and Shane Doan had played on a line together in the past as well as on the power play.
Adding Mikkel Boedker to that combination was meant to give the line balance between a power forward (Doan), a two-way forward (Hanzal) and a sniper/scoring forward (Boedker).
But what the currently roster shows is primarily speed. Tobias Rieder, who famously embarrassed the Edmonton Oilers with two shorthanded goals in a single penalty kill last season by out skating their ever-struggling defense…
…is now centered by Hanzal, who isn’t exactly slow, and opposed on the right by waiver acquisition Jiri Sekac, whose stick skills aren’t lacking as seen in his 2014 opportunistic undressing of the Los Angeles Kings’ perennial Norris Trophy candidate Drew Doughty.
Altogether, my lines and the current lines are pretty different, but my third and forth lines are where things get crazy.
Next: Third Line