The Arizona Coyotes started off the season as one of the Western Conference’s hottest and most surprising teams, but they just couldn’t hold on during the second half. On January 23rd, the Coyotes had 49 points, just two under what was then a so-so Nashville Predators team. But as the latter went on a roll later in the season, Arizona tanked.
A 14-game winless streak sealed their fate, and by February 29th, they had just 51 points, a 23-31-5 record, and their playoff dreams were gone. Once two points behind Nashville, they instead sat 19 points behind their surging Central Division rival.
It got fans thinking instead about the 2024-25 season, starting with a summer full of draft and free agency talk. The latter may be an even better talking point as this season provided Arizona some hope thanks to their success earlier this year, foreshadowing they may be one or two solid additions from legit contention.
Arizona Coyotes will have a lot of cap space to work with in 2024 offseason
Luckily, no other team in the NHL will have more cap space for 2024-25 than the Coyotes, which sits at over $43 million. Some organizations that also have a lot in space, like the San Jose Sharks and the Chicago Blackhawks, are still early in their respective rebuilds. Others like the Detroit Red Wings and Carolina Hurricanes, will figure to contend.
Arizona isn’t on the same level as Detroit and Carolina, but they are ahead of the Sharks and Blackhawks, and their early-season success is something those figuring to test the free agent market won’t go without noticing.
The Coyotes have the cap space, and they also proved they can win games and compete. There is no reason they won’t attract at least solid additions to the desert and look to finish what they started come October 2024.