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Arizona Coyotes All-Star Break Grades – Jason Demers

By Jim Lynch

VANCOUVER, BC - JANUARY 16: Jason Demers #55 of the Arizona Coyotes looks up the ice during their NHL game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena January 16, 2020 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Vancouver won 3-1. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images)
VANCOUVER, BC - JANUARY 16: Jason Demers #55 of the Arizona Coyotes looks up the ice during their NHL game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena January 16, 2020 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Vancouver won 3-1. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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Jason Demers has had a very long NHL career already, he is only 31 years old and has already played in 651 games. However, the numbers I want to talk about were his last 43 games with the Arizona Coyotes.

Jason Demers is playing big minutes with the Coyotes this season. Even with all the talented players, the Coyotes have on their blue line Demers is still putting up top 4 minutes as of right now playing on average 20:48 on average per game. That is pretty good for a defenseman making 4.5 million a year.

I really like what Demers brings to this team, but the thing I love most about him is he can help teach the next wave of Coyotes defenseman to come. Guys like Jakob Chychrun and Kyle Capobianco can learn a lot from Demers and the other blue line the Coyotes have.

For Demers play so far this season I give him a B+ grade. Demers is not meant to score goals and put up numbers for the Coyotes, rather he is here to block shots and keep the puck out of the net, which he is doing.

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Demers has not put up a lot of points since he put up a career-high 34 points in the 2013-14 season. He is not an offensive defenseman by any means but that is alright. Players like Oliver Ekman-Larsson are going to lead the team offensively from the blue line, not Demers.

Honestly, a big reason for Demers’ success this season is the fact that he stepped up in Niklas Hjalmarsson‘s absence. The team was doomed to fail when Hjalmarsson fell to an injury, and yet they just kept pushing on, thanks to players like Demers stepping up.

Demers is 3rd on the team with 61 hits this season. If the Coyotes are to make the playoffs this spring they are going to need players like Jason Demers playing his best in the Coyotes own end!

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