How hot is Rick Tocchet seat with the Arizona Coyotes?
By Jim Lynch
The Arizona Coyotes are currently 4 points away from atop the Pacific Division, with two games in hand. The Coyotes are also on a 6 game point streak now.
The Arizona Coyotes are one of the best teams in my opinion now. They are on the rise and have the speed and skill to go far this season. However, if things do not go our way the Coyotes will have to point some fingers.
When you have expectations and reasons to believe you can succeed you start making statements about the team. Derek Stepan believes the Coyotes are a playoff team, and so do I. However when you look at the Arizona Coyotes and the expectations that come with it, there are some negatives.
In the past, the Coyotes would have records under five hundred and no one would bat an eye, but with how they are now that is not the case if things end up going south later in the year. I have heard from people claiming Clayton Keller is not the right player for this team, and I have heard people say Kessel is our savior after scoring one goal.
To be fair I might have been among them for a bit. I think that the Arizona Coyotes are going to point fingers if they fail to make the playoffs, and one person to point at would be head coach Rick Tocchet.
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Tocchet has been the head coach for the Arizona Coyotes for the last 3 seasons. In 5 years as an NHL head coach Tocchet has a record of 125-147-47, and has never coached a playoff series. However, he has won a Stanley Cup as a player. Tocchet played with the Pittsburgh Penguins and won the Stanley Cup with the Pens in 1992.
Although I like Tocchet as a person, and as a coach. If the team fails to succeed this season he is one person that can take the blame for the issue. John Chayka the GM for the Arizona Coyotes will have to think long and hard about this team if they fail to succeed later in the season, like on who to bring in and who to let go of.