Christian Dvorak is one step closer to making his return for the Arizona Coyotes, with the club assigning him to an AHL conditioning stint.
The Arizona Coyotes have been without Christian Dvorak for the entire 2018/19 campaign, with the 23-year-old being placed on injured reserve after having pectoral surgery before the opening day of the season.
The Coyotes’ second round (58th overall) selection in the 2014 draft had started his NHL career with much promise, registering back-to-back 15-goal seasons in the desert.
Rick Tocchet’s team has sorely missed having Dvorak’s goal-scoring ability this season, currently sitting 28 goals below the league average to date.
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Dvorak started to make positive strides towards returning, being seen training in a non-contact jersey with the team recently, but he is still not quite ready for NHL game action.
As a result, Dvorak will spend a brief conditioning stint with the Coyotes’ AHL affiliates, the Tucson Roadrunners, to help build up his fitness and readjust to the pace of the game.
Having Dvorak in the line-up could be a great thing for Tucson, who have slipped down to fourth in the AHL Pacific Division – having occupied second place for the majority of the season.
Have a legitimate NHL scorer on your team will undoubtedly help the team get things back on track and for Dvorak, it allows him to build up his fitness, confidence and morale ahead of making his season debut for the Coyotes.
Arizona Coyotes fans will no doubt follow Dvorak’s stint with the Roadrunners closely, hoping to see him make great strides in the minors so that his return to the NHL is not prolonged any further.
When Dvorak returns, it will be interesting to see where he fits into the current Coyotes line-up, with the former London Knights star playing the majority of his career as a centre, though the NHL club has often moved him out to the wing.
What do you think Coyotes fans? Are you pleased to see Dvorak taking the right steps towards returning to the ice? How will he get on with the Roadrunners? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!