Will the 2013-14 Phoenix Coyotes Reach the Postseason?

Missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs last spring is motivation to succeed.

As the Phoenix Coyotes prepare to open their NHL season Thursday night at home against the New York Rangers, that’s the assessment of coach Dave Tippett.

A proud and resourceful man, Tippett’s approach is to understand the past so he can build for the future.

Plus, stability of the Phoenix franchise gives Tippett another reason to be optimistic. After four years of uncertainly and doubt, the Phoenix franchise is now secure. That’s because Calgary businessman George Gosbee and his IceArizona group stepped forward and purchased the Coyotes from the NHL.

Since, Gosbee put a management team in place to sell tickets, fill corporate suites and promote the team in a way in which the NHL had no interest.

That strength created a relaxed atmosphere among the players and the result was no distraction. Over the past four years, many questions about the future of the franchise were directed at Tippett and his players as actual hockey questions.

Now, the stigma of the past is a mere illusion and Tippett says he sees a changed attitude and disposition from his players.

While Tippett indicated the past few weeks of training camp were “successful,” he hopes the character his team discovered in camp lingers well into the season.

“I like the way this team is focused and like how the veteran leadership stepped forward,” Tippett said. “That’s been the effect of stability. The veteran players have taken that message throughout camp and from that standpoint, camp has been very successful.”

With the marathon of an NHL season looming, the question for Tippett is whether his team can sustain a relaxed but professional character throughout the season.

New contracts to general manager Don Maloney and Tippett, a six-year, $34 million deal for goalie Mike Smith and a four-year, $22 million contract to free agent Mike Ribeiro all point to a positive future.

Still, competition in the newly-aligned Pacific Division should challenge the Coyotes mettle. The addition of Vancouver, the strength of the Kings and Ducks and emergence of the Oilers and Flames all pose concerns.

Yet, the Coyotes feel comfortable among themselves and believe they have core players in place to relive their magic of two years ago.

That’s when Phoenix bolted to the top of the Western Conference but eventually lost to the Kings in the conference finals. That left an enduring mark on the players and a fire which still burns brightly in the soul of the franchise.

“We have the guys capable of going deep but we have to prove it,” said forward Mikkel Boedker. “But, we can’t get ahead of ourselves. We’ll take this one game at a time and one shift at a time. We just have to stay positive.”

Coming into the season, the strength of the team is likely goaltending and a strong blue line. Tippett will start the season with nine defensemen and said, “We like them all, and don’t want to expose anyone to the waiver wire at this point.”

Though Tippett can dress only six for opening night, and Rostislav Klesla is recovering from a concussion sustained on Sept. 15 in a preseason games against the Kings, Norris candidate Oliver Ekman-Larsson and offensive-minded defenseman Keith Yandle anchor the blue line.

The result will be a disciplined approach to the game and, at the same time, Tippett would like to weave the creativity of Ribeiro into the playbook.

“We want to be a good, structured team,” said defenseman Zbynek Michalek. “Utilimately to be successful, we need to cut down on chances we allow and need to improve our overall defensive game.”

Regarding special teams, the power play will get a boost from Ribeiro and his ability to elevate production from players around him.

Short-handed, the Coyotes need to find a replacement for Boyd Gordon, a superb penalty-killer and strong on the faceoff. A stronger Lauri Korpikoski should emerge as a principal penalty-killer, but the Coyotes need to find an adequate replacement for Gordon on faceoffs.

In the end, Smith will ultimately guide the Coyotes’ journey. His effort between the pipes will energize or deflate play around him and influence his teammates.

In camp, Smith appears more relaxed and confident, and his new contract has given rise to a new sense of personal stability.

The disposition of this franchise has changed, the players appear more energized and new ownership now gives new hope.

If the Coyotes are prevented from qualifying for the playoffs and gain upward mobility in the Western Conference, the nature of the competition could emerge a compelling and influential factor.

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Mark Brown is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand.