Arizona Coyotes Should Pursue Top-Scoring Forward

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Oct 9, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Coyotes goalie Mike Smith (41) makes a save on Winnipeg Jets left wing Andrew Ladd (16) during the first period at Gila River Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports /

With the Arizona Coyotes sending a 5th round pick to the Dallas Stars Thursday afternoon for the rights to negotiate with pending-UFA Alex Goligoski, it appears as if the Coyotes are decidedly interested in competitive hockey next season.

Newly crowned Arizona Coyotes General Manager John Chayka taught Coyotes fans something very important today; he wants the team to be competitive and he wants that to be sooner rather than later.

We know this because of Thursday’s trade with the Dallas Stars, in which Chayka gambled that he could sell Alex Goligoski into signing with the Coyotes before he has a chance to test he free agent market. Chayka isn’t all in, but he is certainly being more active with the chips he has to play with as opposed to the conservative mannerisms Coyotes fans were accustomed to with former GM Don Maloney.

A deal with Steven Stamkos is likely far-fetched, but Arizona has the resources to make a competitive offer.

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos is an interesting player. He has all the skill, speed and leadership that a coach or GM would want in a franchise player, but is not quite labeled a generational talent.

Currently, Stamkos is raking in $7.5 million dollars in his current contract with the Bolts and he is only 26 years old.

That same contract was over 5 years, and depending on how Stamkos feels about his career, he could be looking for a short contract over 2-3 years or a longer, 5-6 year deal. Either way, whomever signs him will be forking out the loose change in their assistant GM’s pockets to make sure he plays for them.

In the context of the Arizona Coyotes, Stamkos could essentially name a number as long as it isn’t ludicrously out there. His number would likely be between where he is sitting now at $7.5 million and as high as $8.5-9 million dollars.

The Arizona Coyotes are likely willing to give Stammer whatever contract he wants including bonuses and and no trade/movement clauses. Other teams who may want in on the Stamkos-sweepstakes like Detroit and his current team may not have this flexibility given the list of players they need to resign. Moreover, teams like Toronto aren’t really immediately built for the playoffs.

The Coyotes, on the other hand, were in the hunt for a playoff spot up until late February this year.

The Yotes have the money to land Stamkos, but the prospect of him coming to the desert doesn’t seem too likely, unfortunately.

Next: Kyle Okposo

Apr 7, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist (30) and New York Islanders right wing Kyle Okposo (21) watch a puck go by the net during the first period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

Kyle Okposo is not necessarily the All-Star forward with second to none talent the Coyotes are looking for, but the skills he brings to the table would still upgrade the Arizona offensive effort.

In his 2015-2016 season for the New York islanders, Kyle Okposo netted 63 points (22 goals, 41 assists) in 79 games. The closest Coyotes player to that total was defenseman Olvier Ekman-Larsson and the closest forward to that number was rookie Max Domi.

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Okposo would bring immediate changes to the Coyotes top-6 forwards, offering speed and hands that are comparable to some of the youth still percolating through Arizona’s development system. Okposo’s skills could make him a great mentor to players like Domi and Anthony Duclair, as well as players who have yet to crack the NHL roster like Christian Dvorak and Chirstian Fischer.

Okposo also comes at a relatively cheap price in comparison to Stamkos, not that the price really matters to a bottom-5 cap team.

Okposo’s concluding New York contract was a 5-yr, $14 million dollar hit, with a cap hit of $2.8 million cap hit over those 5 years. At 29, Okposo may still have a slight upward trend in production but as he gets older and begins to decline, whatever deal he’s signed to will come into larger focus. Okposo is probably looking for a 3-5 year deal with a paycheck in the ballpark of $4-5 million or so.

If there is bidding war between teams, that number may inflate beyond the top of that spectrum.

Should John Chayka see the right statistics and analytics next to Kyle Okposo’s name he’s looking for, expect this signing to be one of the more realistic moves the Coyotes could make in the coming free agency period.

Next: Andrew Ladd

Apr 5, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks left wing Andrew Ladd (16) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal in the second period against the Arizona Coyotes at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports /

The Chicago Blackhawks traded for Andrew Ladd in pursuit of another Stanley Cup and the ‘Ladd Experiment, Part 2’ didn’t really pan out too well. However Ladd’s talents and price could match up well with Arizona’s hockey experiment in the desert.

When Andrew Ladd was moved to Chicago in a trade deadline move that sent Marko Dano to the Great White North, Chicago expected to see the dynamic player they had in 2010 when they brought home their first Cup in a long time.

However what they got was an OK performance and a subpar playoff run.

Now Ladd is due to be a free agent and unless he’s willing to take a big discount to stay in the Windy City for a second stint, Chicago can’t really afford to keep him around.

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Looking back at the Blackhawks' trades involving Andrew Ladd /

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The Arizona Coyotes can certainly afford Ladd and might like his experience as a captain in Winnipeg to lead the youth movement in the desert.

Until this summer, Ladd was rocking a 5 year deal with an annual cap hit of $4.4 million.

Ladd’s point totals over that 5 year deal has ranged from the mid-40’s to the low-60’s, which would put his scoring number at about where Max Domi was this year and will likely end up next year.

Ladd will likely seek out a similar deal with a similar or smaller time frame, but comments from the forward suggest he is motivated to find a place where his family will do well and he feels comfortable.

Ladd is not necessarily the big name the Arizona Coyotes can go market around Phoenix, but he can contribute solid points and ice time over the next couple years, mentoring young players into stars while helping propel the Coyotes into a perennial playoff team.

Next: David Backes

Dec 5, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Blues center David Backes (42) and Toronto Maple Leafs center Nazem Kadri (43) fight during the second period at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Billy Hurst-USA TODAY Sports /

David Backes has been at the helm of the St. Louis Blues for much of the recent past, but as Blue coach Ken Hitchcock enters his last year before retirement, the Blues organization may be looking to move on from their Captain and Arizona may be looking to rent him.

Over the last few years, David Backes has consistently posted +/- 50 point seasons. That number is not crazy high by any NHL standard, but from a Coyotes perspective, that number looks pretty good.

Arizona has struggled over the last couple seasons to manufacture offense and their lack of 50 point scorers showcases this issue. Inserting Backes into the pack, likely as a second line centerman should John Chayka not trade Martin Hanzal, would give some young Coyotes another resource in their development but also a more talented form of protection against big hits on young skill players.

James Neal isn’t set to become a free agent, but he may be on the trade market if Nashville is either looking to upgrade wingers or promote prospects.

The Nashville Predators don’t really have a cap issue, yet.

This year’s cap is gonna be friendly to the Preds, but next year may be less so and as Pekka Rinne‘s window to win a Cup begins to close, Nashville may be willing to shake up their roster again in order to give their goaltender and captain Shea Weber a solid shot at winning it all.

Shaking it up may entail moving some big pieces, as we saw Seth Jones get moved to Columbus for Ryan Johansen during last season.

James Neal could be in the same boat as Jones.

Neals fits in Arizona short term, meaning just this final year of his contract because he can fill a top-line scoring spot while Arizona’s youth matures either down in Tucson or on the second and third lines.

However the issue of James Neal as a Coyote is not on the Coyotes end but on who the Preds would get back, as Arizona would need to trade to get Neal.

Nashville has way too many centerman on staff and nearly no wingers. They need some outside talent soon and they need it bad. Arizona has Brandon Perlini to offer and maybe one or two other prospects ready to come out of the CHL, but this match up seems almost as unrealistic as the Stamkos signing in the desert.

It sounds good but really won’t have legs beyond a good conversation of “what ifs”.

Next: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

Mar 22, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Edmonton Oilers center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (93) tries to shoot the puck as Arizona Coyotes goalie Mike Smith (41), defenseman Kevin Connauton (44) and defenseman Michael Stone (26) defend during the first period at Gila River Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports /

The Edmonton Oilers have been shopping Ryan Nugent-Hopkins recently, looking to recycle a former first round pick for another future pick in order to continue their eternal rebuilding process, but should Arizona help Edmonton with their recycling project?

The answer to that question is yes if it gets the Arizona Coyotes Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

In his short career so far, RNH has accrued 3 50+ point season on a team that consistently finishes in last place in the worst division in hockey. In other words, Nugent-Hopkins was a big reason why Edmonton didn’t win the tank war between the Coyotes and the Buffalo Sabres last season by a significantly wide margin.

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Edmonton is looking for defense, which Arizona does not have a ton of however Arizona does have Martin Hanzal on the market and a change of scenery for Marty may do him some good, especially on a team with a generational talent like Connor McDavid.

Another option could be to sign and move one of the many young defenseman Arizona can qualify, such as Kevin Connauton or Klas Dahlbeck. These two may not be top-pairing defensemen some day, but they compliment the Oiler’s current defensemen and they could bridge Edmonton into drafting quality defensemen over the next couple years.

On the Coyotes, end RNH would likely slot into the first line centerman position, anchoring any of the young prospects ranging from Domi and Duclair to Dvorak and even Dylan Strome should Head Coach Dave Tippett opt to skate Strome on a wing for a year to season him on an NHL level.

Next: The Coyotes May Trade Their 20th Overall Pick

There’s no doubt the Arizona Coyotes could benefit from a proven, veteran scorer.

The question is whether or not there’s one available and willing to relocate to the desert.

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