Arizona Coyotes Bolster Tucson Roadrunners’ Roster In Free Agency
Arizona Coyotes General Manager John Chayka made several moves on Friday in order to bolster the inaugural roster of the Tucson Roadrunners.
The Arizona Coyotes are thrilled that they were able to relocate their AHL affiliate to Tucson.
It wasn’t a move made solely to make things easier for the NHL club on the ice. IceArizona purchased the Springfield Falcons and relocated them to grow hockey in the desert.
What grows a team’s (or a sport’s) fanbase the quickest? Al Davis said it best. “Just win, baby!”
That message appears to have been heard loud and clear by the IceArizona ownership group, General Manager John Chayka, and the rest of the front office involved in putting together the Tucson Roadrunners and Arizona Coyotes.
The team had nowhere to go but up in 2016-17 to begin with.
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Roadrunners Will Be Offensively Dynamic
They are virtually guaranteed to get several exciting young offensive prospects to fill their lineup as players like Christian Dvorak, Conor Garland, and Brendan Perlini turn pro. There’s not room for all of them in Glendale, particularly with Dylan Strome appearing to be on the way, so Tucson wins big due to the numbers game.
Chayka re-signed forward and captain Craig Cunningham to a one-year deal. Cunningham notched 22 goals and contributed 46 points in just 61 games last season as he split time between Springfield and Arizona.
His leadership and scoring touch will be key in reducing the strain on the Arizona Coyotes’ highly touted youth influx.
Cunningham will be teaming up with another veteran, Chris Mueller, who scored 20 goals and put up 57 points with the San Diego Gulls in the AHL in 2015-16.
Mueller is signed to a one-year deal with the Coyotes.
Goaltending And Defense Were A Concern As Well
With Louis Domingue promoted to the NHL full time, young goaltender Adin Hill steps into the crease for the Roadrunners at a tender twenty years of age.
He’ll have plenty of support, however, as the Coyotes signed veteran goaltender Justin Peters to a one-year, two-way contract on Friday to backstop Tucson and help Hill grow into the role.
On the defensive front, Jamie McBain signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Arizona Coyotes and will likely spend the majority of his time in the AHL barring injuries.
McBain will be joined in Tucson by Jarred Tinordi, who re-signed with the team once the free agency window was open.
Questions About Arizona Coyotes Signing Garret Ross
One questionable bit of business conducted by Chayka and the Yotes on Friday was the signing of 24-year-old forward Garret Ross.
Ross has proven himself to be a decent scorer on the AHL level with the Rockford IceHogs.
Unfortunately, he’s also been charged with one count of non-consensual dissemination of sexual images in the state of Illinois. The charges were later dropped by the state due to the crime occurring in Michigan, not Illinois.
“This is not a crime that occurred in the state of Illinois. Further investigation revealed that Ross and the recipient were both in Michigan at the time,” DeKalb County State’s Attorney Richard Schmack told the Chicago Tribune.
Though the charges were dropped, the situation reeks.
Considering the many issues that NHL teams have dealt with recently – most notably with sexual assault allegations and Patrick Kane – it makes little sense why Chayka and the Coyotes would volunteer themselves for one by signing Garret Ross.
A Bright Season Ahead
With some promising prospects in tow and some of much needed veteran help sprinkled throughout the lineup, the Tucson Roadrunners inaugural season is shaping up to be an exciting one.
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It will be very interesting to watch the development of Adin Hill in goal, as well as whichever assortment of Arizona Coyotes prospects remain in the AHL.
With professional hockey being played from fall to spring and beyond, it’s hard to buy that puck won’t work in the desert.