Is the Arizona Coyotes Roster Good Enough to Reach the Playoffs?
The Arizona Coyotes are about to find out if they actually have what it takes to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2012.
The Arizona Coyotes (9-6-2, 20 points) have already sustained injuries to key players that may have impacted where they currently rest in the standings after 17 games (just over 20% of the schedule).
If the injured players return to the ice soon and the entire roster remains relatively healthy for the remainder of the season, are the Coyotes talented and skillful enough to reach the postseason? Can they perform at a consistently high level within their system to be competitive in the latter stages of the season?
I think the answer is yes. As the skillful, aggressive younger players continue to gain experience and gel with the more established veterans, there’s no reason to believe that a balanced roster won’t be able to effectively compete night in and night out for the ultimate prize.
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Barrett Hayton, Nick Schmaltz, Connor Garland, Lawson Crouse, Vinnie Hinostroza, Christian Dvorak, and Christian Fischer all represent a solid core of young offensive-minded players capable of making a difference. Sharing the ice with veteran forwards like Derek Stepan, Phil Kessel, Michael Grabner, Carl Soderberg, and Brad Richardson will only make them better.
Likewise, young, talented defensemen Jakob Chychrun and Kyle Copabianco will continue to mesh with and learn from defensive standouts Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Jason Demers, and Alex Goligoski.
The current goalkeeping tandem is a solid and dependable one, and the recent performances of Darcy Kuemper and Antti Raanta bode well for the desert dogs as they continue through their season.
We all know that the Coyotes don’t have a roster full of superstars. Thus, they can’t lean on any one person to carry the load for the entire team. With the Coyotes, no one can take a night off, loaf, or “coast” while on the ice. The Arizona Coyotes proudly play “ice bag,” blue collar” hockey, and when they’re “on” it’s fun to watch. Everyone takes pride in it.
The local expression “scratchin’ and clawin” well describes what the Arizona Coyotes simply must do within Coach Rick Tocchet’s system, every single game, to be successful.
If the team strays from its recipe for success, like losing their focus and thus consistently shooting high or wide, or worse, taking too many “dumb” penalties, they’ll pay for it. It will show on the scoreboard and in the standings. Plain and simple.
Do the Arizona Coyotes have the right combination of men on the roster to get to the playoffs? Of course they do. Just focus on one game at a time, boys. Let’s go Coyotes!