2 - Phoenix Coyotes

At this time a year ago, the Phoenix Coyotes were preparing for a season after making the Stanley Cup Playoffs but losing arguably their most valuable player. But instead of taking a step back without goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov, all the Coyotes did was produce the most successful season in franchise history. Despite sitting in ninth place in the Western Conference after the games played on March 29, the Coyotes rattled off five straight victories to close the regular season and capture the first division title in the franchise’s 32-year NHL history. The winning didn’t stop there. The Coyotes won a playoff series for the first time since moving to the desert in 1996 and doubled the organization’s playoff series win total before losing to the eventual champs, the Los Angeles Kings, in the Western Conference Finals. Despite their unprecedented success, it has been another unsettled offseason for the Coyotes. The ownership situation is still not determined, and the specter of losing another marquee player looms. Captain Shane Doan, the final player remaining from the team that moved to Phoenix from Winnipeg in 1996, is an unrestricted free agent. He and his agent, Terry Bross, have said Doan would like to stay in Arizona with the Coyotes, but they have been waiting to see if the sale of the franchise to a group led by Greg Jamison can be completed. Bross told Sarah McLellan of the Arizona Republic that a deadline is forthcoming. "Shane is going to sign a contract before the CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) expires on the [Sept.] 15th," Bross told McLellan. "[Ownership has to] be done before the 15th, otherwise we're signing somewhere because we don't know what the new CBA is going to look like, and I don't know if it's going to limit any scope of a contract, so we want to make sure we sign before then. "I guess from that respect, time is ticking." When Bryzgalov left for the Philadelphia Flyers, pundits predicted a precipitous fall for Phoenix, but it didn’t happen. Mike Smith proved one of the best signings of the summer, giving the Coyotes a near-Vezina Trophy finalist performance for $2 million. Given Doan’s importance in the dressing room and his status as the face of the franchise, he’d probably be a little tougher to replace, not to mention the timing and what would be left on the free-agent market. Doan was third on the team last season with 50 points, but even if he stays, Phoenix’s leading scorer has already joined another club. Ray Whitney had a fantastic season, finishing with 24 goals and 77 points, but the 40-year-old opted to sign with the Dallas Stars after they offered him a two-year contract. The Coyotes did move for a replacement, inking Steve Sullivan, who had 17 goals and 48 points for the Pittsburgh Penguins, to a one-year pact. They also signed David Moss, who had a down year with the Calgary Flames, to a two-year contract, and added Nick Johnson on a two-way deal although he should be a favorite to land a roster spot. Depending on Doan’s decision, the rest of the forward corps is intact, and a full season of Antoine Vermette in the middle could help mitigate any drop in production from Whitney to Sullivan. Vermette was one of Phoenix’s best players during the playoff run. Veteran defensemen Michal Rozsival and Kurt Sauer were not retained, but general manager Don Maloney took advantage of Pittsburgh’s desire to shed salary at the NHL Draft and traded for Zbynek Michalek, who had played for the franchise before signing with the Penguins two years ago. Adding Michalek strengthens what is already a big positive for the Coyotes. In Michalek and Rostislav Klesla the Coyotes have veteran, defense-first guys on the blue line. In Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Keith Yandle, they have two young, offensively gifted stars at the position -- and in kids David Rundblad, Brandon Gormley and Connor Murphy, the Coyotes have another wave of talent to bolster a strong group in the near future.
Additions: D Zybnek Michalek, RW David Moss, RW Nick Johnson, C Rob Klinkhammer
Subtractions: LW Ray Whitney, D Adrian Aucoin, LW Taylor Pyatt
UFAs: RW Shane Doan, C Daymond Langkow, C Gilbert Brule, C Marc-Antoine Pouliot, D Michal Rozsival
Promotion candidates: D David Rundblad, C Brendan Shinnimin, LW Chris Brown, C Andy Miele

Smith returns after his breakout season, and Jason LaBarbera remains his backup. Any thought the Coyotes would struggle without Bryzgalov was quickly put to rest by Smith, and he was significantly better in the postseason than the departed astronomy enthusiast had been in two first-round defeats. The biggest reason for optimism in the desert is the most important person for the Coyotes is still there. After guiding a team with one of the lowest payrolls in the League to playoff berths in three consecutive seasons and now a trip to the conference finals, Dave Tippett has proven he’s one of the elite coaches in the NHL. He has helped Phoenix withstand roster losses and deal with distractions, and, most importantly, figure out a way to outperform outside expectations. He’s been the perfect guy to keep the team focus regardless of what is going on around them or who isn’t sitting next to them. "Certainly getting stable ownership would push the organization forward, but my position is to take steps forward on the ice," Tippett told NHL.com last week. "We made strides last year, but you've gotta find ways to continue to push that ahead. It's no different than other summers, but when you do take big steps like we did last year it would be nice to use that momentum going into this season. "It's a challenge, but the players we have under contract, they're doing everything else that every other team is doing. We continue to prepare, and hopefully things work out."

It probably wouldn't feel like a normal offseason for Phoenix Coyotes coach Dave Tippett if his team didn't have plenty of questions to answer for the forthcoming campaign. Since taking over in 2009, Tippett has kept the Coyotes focused despite distractions away from the ice with the ownership situation and on it with key defections, leading them to three consecutive Stanley Cup Playoff appearances. He lost his No. 1 goaltender last summer, the Coyotes dealt impending free agent Ilya Bryzgalov to the Philadelphia Flyers, where he signed a nine-year, $51 million contract, and the Coyotes responded with the franchise's first division title and first trip to the conference finals. The White Out was back in in the desert and Jobing.com Arena was rocking until Phoenix ran into the eventual champion Los Angeles Kings after dispatching the Chicago Blackhawks and Nashville Predators in the first two rounds. Their $4 million goalie is back for the second year of his deal, but Mike Smith replicating his breakout campaign, and where the offense will come from, are among the top six questions for the Coyotes as 2012-13 approaches. Ray Whitney is gone to the Dallas Stars and captain Shane Doan remains unsigned, meaning a below-average offense may have to replace 46 goals and 127 points. Steve Sullivan and David Moss are free-agent signings who could end up in those top-six forward positions, but they alone aren't going to replace Whitney and possibly Doan. Sullivan had 17 goals last season for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and Moss had 17 the year before for the Calgary Flames, so somewhere around 35 goals from them is a reasonable expectation if they receive premium minutes. Having Antoine Vermette for a full season should help, and Martin Hanzal should improve on his eight goals and 34 points if he's centering the top line. The Coyotes boost their scoring by committee approach with an above-average amount of offense from the blue line. Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Keith Yandle are one of the best young offensive defenseman duos in the League, and Ekman-Larsson in particular has room to increase his output. There are other offensively inclined rearguards on the way as well.

Mike Smith's contract was seven years and $47 million less than Bryzgalov, the man he replaced. Not only did Smith produce a regular season worthy of a fourth-place finish in the Vezina Trophy voting, he got stronger in the postseason, something Bryzgalov did not do in his two seasons with Phoenix. Smith posted a .944 save percentage in the postseason, and he put up at least a .920 save percentage in 14 of the Coyotes' 16 playoff games. Now Smith will have to prove he can do it again, and his workload from last season is worth noting. Smith played in 83 games in 2011-12 including the postseason. His previous highs at any major level were 58 as an 18-year-old in the Ontario Hockey League and 57 in the American Hockey League at 23. He turned 30 in March, and this will be his first season where greatness is not only expected for him at the NHL level, but quite possibly needed if the Coyotes do struggle to score goals.

Antoine Vermette joined the club before the trade deadline and ended up as Phoenix's leading scorer in the postseason with five goals and 10 points. Mikkel Boedker had a nice rookie season, then spent two years shuttling back and forth to the AHL. Last season he had 11 goals and 24 points in 82 regular-season contests for the Coyotes, but ended up with four goals and eight points in the playoffs. They teamed with Doan to form Phoenix's most productive line in the postseason. Vermette and Boedker are likely to be paired again on the second line; whether Doan returns to join them remains to be determined. Something north of 40 goals and 80 points combined from Vermette and Boedker would certainly help ease the loss of Whitney.

One sure-fire way to produce more offense for the Coyotes would be to fix the power play. Phoenix finished 29th in the League last season at 13.6 percent with the man advantage. Ceding control of the possession battle in a defense-first style also leads to fewer chances to draw penalties. Toss in six shorthanded goals against, and the Coyotes’ net gain on the power play was the worst in the NHL. Enter Sullivan, who has a well-earned reputation as a man-advantage maestro. He could be deployed at one of the points next to Yandle or Ekman-Larsson, or on the half-wall below those two. Either way, expect to see a lot of him holding the puck and dictating Phoenix's power play, and the results will improve provided guys are able to finish on the opportunities he creates.

Yandle and Ekman-Larsson could be joined by some quality defenseman prospects in the Phoenix system this season. Yandle (26 years old next month) and Ekman-Larsson (21) are still young and evolving, but there is also another group of quality prospects vying to join them. Brandon Gormley and David Rundblad have significant offensive potential, and Michael Stone had nine goals in 51 AHL games last season. Even Maxim Goncharov put up strong numbers in the KHL before two seasons in the AHL. There is probably only room for one of those four to start this season with the Coyotes (Stone got some spot duty in the postseason), but any or all of them could see time with Phoenix at some point. The other stalwarts besides Yandle and Ekman-Larsson aren't likely to be impact guys at the offensive end, but one of the kids could be. Even another minor boost from the back end could help offset the losses.

Zbynek Michalek played his first five full NHL seasons with the Coyotes after arriving in a trade, but he signed a five-year, $20 million pact with Pittsburgh in the summer of 2009. He scuffled at bit at times with the Penguins and struggled to fit into coach Dan Bylsma's uptempo system, drawing criticism along with fellow free-agent signee Paul Martin. The Penguins wanted to clear salary-cap space in an attempt to lure Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, so the Coyotes were happy to take Michalek back with three years and $12 million left on his contract. Michalek is a defense-first guy and a shot-blocker. Combine that with his familiarity in Phoenix and he could provide an already strong defense corps with a nice boost.

Mike Smith arrived in Phoenix last summer with a modest contract but a hefty task – replace a guy who just signed a $51 million contract. Smith proved up to the task, and in turn the Coyotes didn't miss Ilya Bryzgalov. A year later, another of the Coyotes' stars is gone, and another guy on a low-risk deal has arrived to help replace him. Ray Whitney was spectacular for Phoenix last season, posting 24 goals and a team-high 77 points. He signed a two-year contract with the Dallas Stars, where he will join forces with Jaromir Jagr and try to help them back into the playoffs. To keep the Coyotes in the NHL's postseason party, Phoenix has to replace to Whitney's offense (not to mention possibly Shane Doan's as well because he remains unsigned). General manager Don Maloney signed Steve Sullivan to a one-year, $1.85 million contract, and Sullivan could fit in Whitney’s place in the lineup. "He's a very similar player to Ray Whitney," Maloney told Sarah McLellan of the Arizona Republic. "A little smaller player, but very good skill, good power-play skill. So when we lost Ray, there were only a couple names we really could fill a skill position [with], and he was one of them." Sullivan has been a dynamic player in the NHL, but he's struggled to stay healthy. There are six 60-point seasons on his resume, but the 38-year-old has missed at least 25 games in the three of the past five campaigns. After accruing 10 goals and 22 points in 44 games in his final season with the Nashville Predators in 2010-11, Sullivan rehabilitated his reputation as an offensive threat with the Pittsburgh Penguins last season. He finished with 17 goals and 48 points. Even better, he also stayed healthy. Whitney played a lot with Radim Vrbata and Martin Hanzal, and Maloney said Sullivan is likely to get the chance to fit on a line with those two players. Sullivan could also help boost the team's power play. His work with the extra man drew rave reviews from his teammates in Pittsburgh last season. The Penguins are flush with world-class talent, but the power play was more effective with Sullivan on the ice. He is a facilitator, and a couple of the Coyotes’ goal scorers could be big beneficiaries from working with Sullivan. "I'm versatile," Sullivan told McLellan. "I think I can play in any position on the power play. I can play the point. I can carry the puck in, or play the half wall or down low. I think just being able to punch me in anywhere they see fit might be a position they're going to look at." After the best season in franchise history, the Phoenix Coyotes lost their top offensive player this summer and might not have their captain and third-leading scorer back. General manager Don Maloney added Steve Sullivan and David Moss in free agency, and each could end up in a top-six role with Ray Whitney in Dallas and Shane Doan still unsigned. Maloney's best offseason acquisition could end up being Zbynek Michalek. While the GM has had to wait on a decision from Doan, he was able to take advantage of the Pittsburgh Penguins' desire to clear salary-cap space with Michalek and their decision to wait on the premium free agents to nab Sullivan.

Nick Johnson and Chris Conner also spent time in the past with the Penguins, though they came directly from the Minnesota Wild and Detroit Red Wings, respectively, and each could earn a full-time role with the Coyotes. Regardless of Doan's destination, the Coyotes are likely to be a scoring-by-committee crew, though the young, offensive-minded defense corps will likely lessen the goal-scoring burden a bit for the forwards.

Forwards

Steve Sullivan – Martin Hanzal – Radim Vrbata

Mikkel Boedker – Antoine Vermette – David Moss

Lauri Korpikoski – Boyd Gordon – Nick Johnson

Chris Brown* – Kyle Chipchura – Chris Conner

Paul Bissonnette

Defensemen

Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Rostislav Klesla

Keith Yandle – Zbynek Michalek

Michael Stone – Derek Morris

David Schlemko

Goaltenders

Mike Smith

Jason LaBarbera

* - Chris Brown fills the void left by Raffi Torres, who will continue to serve the suspension he received for his hit on Chicago Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa during the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Torres will miss the first eight games of the 2012-13 regular season.

NOTES: Should Doan return it would push Moss down the lineup. If not, this would be a chance for Moss to rebound while playing with two guys who performed very well during the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Given the suspension for Torres, the Coyotes could use that time to audition junior-eligible player Jordan Martinook, or give Brown or Brendan Shinnimin a brief trial before sending them to Portland of the American Hockey League. Michalek played almost exclusively with Ed Jovanovski during his last season with Phoenix, but he was paired with Yandle a little. Stone and Schlemko are just two of the guys who will be battling for the final spot on the blue line. Chris Summers and prospects Brandon Gormley, David Rundblad and Maxim Goncharov could all be involved. Don't be surprised if coach Dave Tippett is wary of Smith's workload early in the season and tries to spot in LaBarbera more after the backup went the distance in 13 games in 2011-12.