It is always fun highlighting the players that have been good. Unfortunately, that is not what we are looking at right now.
There are a number of players that have been cold for the Coyotes the past few weeks, and if this team is going to have any chance at making the playoffs they are going to need these guys to step up!
Cold: Nick Schmaltz
Nick Schmaltz currently leads the team in points with 40, but he has not really been that great the past few weeks. Schmaltz has just two assists during the nine games of February. While you can not expect your best player to score every game, you do need more from Schmaltz here.
Schmaltz has been a 53.1 percent in the faceoff dot this month so that is good, but at the same time, we need him to produce more points. I feel like out of every player on the team Schmaltz took the biggest step back after the acquisition of Taylor Hall.
Cold: Oliver Ekman-Larsson
The captain has been bad. In his five games this month he has two points and 10 penalty minutes. While I would like to see him produce more goals and assists, I think the biggest issue I have is the 10 penalty minutes. Ekman-Larsson has two penalty minutes per game this month, and that total leads the team.
We have talked at great lengths at how much the special teams are killing the Coyotes. Even if we have a great PK that can kill off a penalty when the team needs it we do not want to go short-handed. Going short-handed kills momentum and gives the other team scoring chances regardless of if the team scores.
Cold: Vinnie Hinostroza
Vinnie Hinostroza has one assist in the nine games he has played in this month. During that time he has 13:19 minutes of ice time per game on average, that is a lot of time to only rack up one assist. Depth scoring is what the Coyotes are going to need during the coming few months, and Hinostroza has not been able to provide it even when he has played with players like Nick Schmaltz and Clayton Keller.