Why are the Arizona Coyotes underestimated and is it an advantage?
By Jim Lynch
The Arizona Coyotes are underestimated. Even with a winning streak of 4 games, no one is considering them a threat outside of Arizona. This is shown by their 21st position in the ESPN power rankings.
We have talked a lot about gaining respect, and other hypotheticals so far this season, but let’s talk about the Coyotes’ current predicament around the league and where it comes from.
The Coyotes don’t really have the respect of the NHL and that is ok. We use it to our advantage night in and night out. Think about how Henrik Lundqvist was not the starter for the Rangers when they were going to be facing off against a very hot Coyotes team. Where does the lack of respect come from?
For starters, it has something to do with the recent past in Arizona. They have not made the playoffs since 2012, and since then they have not really been a team that has been considered much of anything. Last season was a great season in Arizona, and they still missed out on the playoffs.
However, the lack of respect might also have something to do with the lack of a historic history in Arizona hockey. Sure the Coyotes have Shane Doan, Jeremy Roenick and Mike Smith as former legendary players, but that does not compete with some other teams. When you play the Pittsburgh Penguins you face off against Crosby and Malkin, but you also face off against Mario Lemieux and Jagr.
A team is more than just their current roster, the uniform should help connect the present to the past. When you play Edmonton and Connor McDavid Wayne Gretzky should also be on your mind. The Arizona Coyotes do not yet have that kind of historic past, they are building it now.
Bringing in players like Phil Kessel helps create a spark of excitement in Arizona hockey. It also should increase all-star participation this season for the Coyotes. 2007 was the last time the Coyotes had more than one participant in the NHL all-star game. Last season Clayton Keller donned the ‘Yotes logo at the big game, and the year before that it was Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
With players like Phil Kessel, Nick Schmaltz, and Christian Dvorak there is no doubt in my mind more than one Coyotes player will be added to the all-star cast this season.
Let’s look at some of the facts for the Coyotes this season. Arizona is higher ranked than the San Jose Sharks when you look at their records. That does not change that San Jose is still getting talked about a lot more than our ‘Yotes.
Last season the St. Louis Blues started the season with a record of 2-3-2, the year before that the Washington Capitals started the season with a record of 3-3-1. Those were the two teams that won the cup in the past two seasons. Arizona is off to a better start than that!
One reason the Coyotes might not be very respected is they are not viewed very often on a national scale. The Coyotes only have 2 games this season that will be televised on NBCSN, the nationally televised channel that features the NHL. Besides that, all the games will play on our local Coyotes channels. It is hard to make a difference in the NHL and show your impact without being seen across the country. Only 2 games on NBCSN is around the lowest total in the league for national coverage.
The Coyotes did not really get talked about nationally until one player was introduced this offseason, Phil Kessel. Kessel brings the star power the Coyotes desperately need. Outside of his introduction, the next best thing was Auston Matthews getting drafted first overall. As an Arizona native that helped shine a light on what hockey can be in Arizona.
Going on a winning streak will also help increase national coverage. The Coyotes best way to win respect around the league would be to continue to win games. However, I believe this team is fine with getting underestimated night in and night out, it is an advantage when the clock starts.
Vegas used it to their advantage in their first season. A team of misfits from NHL teams were cast away as a failure before the season began. Then they made a run to the Stanley Cup final. Maybe the Coyotes can do something similar this season.
We have a system, and it can work. Be ready Coyotes faithful, because as everyone else doubts the Coyotes we will be watching their rise to stardom, hopefully in the form of a playoff spot.