Arizona Coyotes: Preparing For An Expansion Draft

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Mar 22, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Coyotes left wing Alex Tanguay (40) celebrates with center Antoine Vermette (50) and left wing Anthony Duclair (10) after scoring a goal in the first period at Gila River Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports /

Arizona Coyotes Protected via UFA Resign Clause:

One of the names on this list should not surprise any Coyotes fan, let alone any person who follows the NHL with moderate intensity. Shane Doan is a Coyote. He will be a Coyote next season. He will be a Coyote until he decides he does’t want to play professional hockey anymore.

It is really that simple.

But the other two may need a little more explaining.

Mar 5, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Coyotes right wing Shane Doan (19) lines up for a faceoff against the Vancouver Canucks at Gila River Arena. The Coyotes won 3-2 in a shootout. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /

Alex Tanguay was a toss in from the Mikkel Boedker trade, most likely because the Arizona Coyotes wanted to float themselves a little higher above the cap floor and Colorado wanted to give themselves more flexibility. Moreover, Colorado most likely knew they didn’t want to resign him.

I guess the Avs didn’t know what they were giving up until it was too late. During Tanguay’s short tenure with the Coyotes, #40 has posted as many goals in Arizona as he did in Colorado in 1/5th as many games. Moreover, Tanguay is posting a positive +/- and is making the Coyotes’ power play click, which is more than any of us can say about Mikkel Boedker’s PP time this season.

And hey, guess what; as self-appointed Assistant GM of the Arizona Coyotes, I don’t only want to resign him, but I want to give him a two-year contract and keep him around awhile. I like his grit, I like his leadership and I think he makes Antoine Vermette and Anthony Duclair better hockey players. To me, Tanguay hanging around is a no-brainer.

But Boyd Gordon is even more complex to the untrained eye. Gordon is an aging fourth line center with limited scoring talent. He is no Jaromir Jagr or Jarome Iginla. But neither of those two semi-elderly gentlemen win nearly 60% of their face-offs (although neither are actually Centers, the comparison was more about age). Gordon plays solid penalty kill time and does a pretty decent job of it.

On top of that, Gordy is still an absolute stud of a centerman and in my mind. He absolutely deserves another one year contract with bloated cash earnings to keep the Arizona Coyotes sneaking in above the rising salary cap floor.

Next: Protected First- and Second-Year Players

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