Bleacher Report - Articles by Cameron Paul

The Top 10 Greatest Phoenix Coyotes of All Time

Cameron Paul — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 02:26:55 -0500

The Phoenix Coyotes may not have a storied history like a lot of NHL franchises but they have been around for over a decade not, including the Winnipeg Jet days. A lot of players have come and gone from Phoenix through the years but there are definitely some players who made their mark with Phoenix. Here are the Top 10 Phoenix Coyotes of all time.

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Coyotes' Keith Yandle Is Too Hot to Handle

Cameron Paul — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:11:05 -0500

With all the injuries the Phoenix Coyotes have on their blue line, somebody had step up. That person was Keith Yandle.

The 23-year-old native of Boston, Mass., has recorded two goals and three assists in the past seven games, including the game-winning goal on Saturday against Philadelphia.

Yandle has seen his ice time improve greatly since the injury bug bit, and he has not disappointed. His mediocre defensive play reduced his playing time last season, but Yandle has stepped up his performance so far this year.

Along with Ed Jovanovski, Yandle has the best offensive upside of any Phoenix Coyote. He shown he has the ability to take the puck end to end and create great scoring chances for the Coyotes. He is also one of if not the best power play quarterbacks for the squad.

With the 2010 Winter Olympics around the corner, Yandle may just play his way on to the U.S. hockey team. If not this year, Yandle certainly should be a mainstay for the Americans in the next couple of Olympics.

One of the best young defenseman in the entire league, Yandle could possibly be one of the best in the league period in a few years' time. Not bad four a fourth-round draft pick.

Shane Doan Continues To Lead the Way for the Phoenix Coyotes

Cameron Paul — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:54:05 -0500

Ever since Keith Tkachuk and Jeremy Roenick left the Phoenix, Shane Doan has been the heart and soul for the Coyotes. He has led or been near the top in every offensive category for Phoenix in the past eight seasons.

Shane Doan took over as the Coyotes captain from Teppo Numminen back in the 2003-04 season and since then has been considered one of the best captains in the league. Doan has captained Team Canada twice at the World Championship, winning gold in 2007.

Never has Doan's leadership skills been needed then now, with a such young Phoenix Coyotes team. The Coyotes added veteran players like Adrian Aucoin and Vernon Fiddler this past offseason to help Doan with the leadership aspect of the team.

During the 2008 NHL Entry Draft the Coyotes acquired Olli Jokinen from the Florida Panthers. Jokinen was supposed to help take off the pressure of Doan being the one counted on to produce offense. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out and Jokinen was traded to Calgary at the 2009 trade deadline.

This past offseason the Coyotes did not add any big name players to the team, but still added a few players who can contribute decent offensively. Robert Lang and Radim Vrbata were brought in to put pucks in the net and so far they have.

Even with the new players, Shane Doan continues to lead the Coyotes in most offensive categories this season. Although he is leading the team, everyone in the lineup seems to be producing when called upon.

With the Coyotes young players learning and improving each day, maybe in a few years Doan will no longer have to play such a big role for the Coyotes like he currently is. If the Coyotes want any shot of the playoffs this season, though, Doan will have to continue to play a very significant and huge role with the Coyotes.

Chris Chelios a Phoenix Coyote?

Cameron Paul — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:28:13 -0500

With the injuries to defensemen Ed Jovanovski and Zbynek Michalek, the Phoenix Coyotes are desperately in need of a defenseman with NHL experience and you can not find a more experienced defenseman than Chris Chelios.

Phoenix Coyotes general manager Don Maloney has publicly shown interest in the veteran defenseman. He will head to San Antonio to see Chelios play this Friday. San Antonio is also the Coyotes AHL affiliate, so Maloney will get a good look at the players down there too.

Chelios is currently playing for the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League. He has recorded seven points in just seven games. But the Coyotes don't want Chelios for his offensive skills they want him for his great defensive play.

At the ripe old age of 47, Chelios may be long past his prime years but he can still be a serviceable sixth defenseman for the Coyotes. Along with his solid defensive play, he would bring a lot of veteran leadership to a young Coyotes team.

To replace both Jovanovski and Michalek the Coyotes have inserted both David Schlemko and Shaun Heshka into the lineup . They only have a combined eight games of NHL experience between them. Chris Chelios on the other has over 1500 games of NHL experience, which is more of what the Phoenix Coyotes are looking for.

The only problem that I could see why Chelios would not sign with Phoenix is the location. He has made it known publicly that he wants to stay close to his family if possible, but this could be his last shot at playing in the NHL.

Only time will tell if the Coyotes sign Chris Chelios, but that time should be now, as the Coyotes are desperately in need a defenseman.

Peter Mueller's Game Is Off

Cameron Paul — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:34:24 -0500

To put my own spin on the classic attendance scene from the 1986 movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off “Mueller? Mueller? Mueller?” Just like Ferris failed to answer the call, Peter Mueller has failed to answer the call in Phoenix so far this season.

For the most part of this season Peter Mueller has been absent on the score sheet for the Phoenix Coyotes. The twenty-one year old is in his third year with the Coyotes, the team that drafted him eighth overall at the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.

Peter Mueller had an amazing rookie season for the Coyotes in 2007-08. He finished the season with 22 goals, 32 assists, for 54 points. He was tied for third in rookie scoring with Chicago's Jonathan Toews. He was the first Coyote rookie to score twenty or more goals since the 1992-93 season when Teemu Selanne score a rookie record 76 goals.

Mueller has been in a huge decline offensively since his rookie season. Entering his second season there were high hopes for the Minnesotan native to improve on his excellent rookie season totals. Instead of improving, Mueller struggled offensively and ended up with only 13 goals and 36 points.

Any thoughts that Mueller was just an unfortunate victim of the sophomore slump were put to bed early on in the 2009-10 season. Through the first 14 games of the season, Mueller has only one goal and two assists. He just got his first goal in a win against the Chicago Blackhawks last Thursday. It wasn't a fancy goal but at least it was a goal.

Maybe scoring his first goal of the season is all Mueller needs to start helping the Coyotes offense. Just look at the New York Rangers' Chris Higgins, who only recently scored his first goal of the season. Higgins scored another goal in his next game and seems to be finally ready to contribute on more regular basis for the Rangers.

If Mueller can not start picking up his game, the minors may be an option for him. There are many players down in San Antonio like Kevin Porter and Kyle Turris who are itching to get a shot with the big club. The worst thing for Mueller may be the fact that his slow start hurts his already small chance of making the 2010 U.S Olympic Team.

Hopefully the next time Mueller's name is called, he answers by putting pucks in the net and points on the board.

The Top 10 NHL Waiver Pickups of All-Time

Cameron Paul — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:49:17 -0500

The picture describes it all, one's man trash is another man's treasure. In this case, it's one team's trash is another team's treasure. There are different reasons why a player might be placed on waivers. The most common one would be a players lack of production. Another reason is to free up some cap space. Then there is the rare occasion where you can only shake your head and wonder as to why they placed a certain player on waivers. Here are the top 10 NHL waiver pickups of all time.

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Outstanding October for Phoenix Coyotes

Cameron Paul — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:39:35 -0500

The first month of the NHL season is officially over. The Phoenix Coyotes capped off the month of October with a 3-2 shootout victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Halloween night. With the win they improved their overall record to an impressive 9-4.

There are few reasons why the Coyotes are off to such a great start. The first reason is they are getting spectacular goal tending from Ilya Brzgalov. He currently has a goals against average of 1.78, a save percentage of .930 and three shutouts. These are even better numbers then in Bryzgalov's first season with the Coyotes, a season in which he carried the team on his back.

A good reason that Bryzgalov is playing so well could be the fact that he has a new goal-tending coach in former Coyotes goaltender Sean Burke. Another reason is that the Coyotes defensemen are playing much better in front of Bryzgalov this season.

The offseason acquisitions of Adrian Aucoin and Jim Vandermeer have turned out to be great. They have both added depth and veteran leadership to the Coyotes defensive corps, something they were desperately lacking last year.

Sami Lepisto has stepped in and has played well for the injured Kurt Sauer, who is currently out of the lineup with a head injury. Keith Yandle has continued to be great offensively for the Coyotes while not being as much of a defensive liability as last season.

Ed Jovanovski is playing the best hockey of his career. He is currently tied with Shane Doan for the team lead in points with ten. Zbynek Michalek is playing solid as usual, continuing to block shot after shot.

Offensively, the Coyotes are getting production from all four forward lines. None of the Coyotes players are lighting up the league, but they are producing at key times. One of the biggest offensive surprises for the Coyotes may be the early chemistry that is being shown between Vernon Fiddler and Dan Winnik. The two have been on fire lately for the Coyotes.

With all the positives there are still a couple of negatives to talk about from the first month. Sophomore forward Mikkel Boedker failed to live up to expectations and was sent to the minors. His lack of offensive production can be mostly blamed on the lack of ice time he got. Boedker will get more playing time with San Antonio so it will help him improve as a player.

Peter Mueller is off to another slow start with only two assists through 12 games. The minors could also be an option for him,as there is a lot of hungry players in the San Antonio who would love to take his spot in the Coyotes lineup.

If the Coyotes are able to continue their winning ways into the month of November they could be very well on their to their first playoff appearance in seven years.

Being a Phoenix Coyotes Fan Is Tough

Cameron Paul — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:04:45 -0400

I know the Phoenix Coyotes are only 12 games into the season, but they are off to their best start since the 2000-01 season. It is is very important for Coyotes to have a good start to the season is considering this past offseason was one of the worst the franchise and its fans.

I myself have been a fan of the team from the day they left Winnipeg. The first five seasons or so went great. For the past seven years, the Coyotes have served mostly as one of the laughing stocks of the National Hockey League.

Being from Winnipeg, I think it is even harder to be a Phoenix Coyotes fan. I constantly get heckled by family and friends on how bad of a team the Coyotes are. Well at least my brother is a big fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs so I get to heckle him a lot—especially this season with the Leaf's horrible start.

I actually have a few Phoenix Coyotes decals on my car to show that I'm a proud Coyotes fan. The people of Winnipeg dislike the Coyotes so much that someone put "Phoenix Sucks" stickers on the back of my car. The fact that someone actually took the time, effort, and money to put that on my car just shows you how much hatred Winnipegers have for the Coyotes.

A couple of weeks ago, I was wearing a Phoenix Coyotes jersey and a complete stranger came up to me and said "What a joke of a team. I wouldn't even want them to come back to Winnipeg, we want a real team." As usual, I just shook it off and went along my way.

I couple of years ago I remember the Winnipeg Free Press had a huge article about how big of a joke the Coyotes were. They also pointed out that the people of Arizona are not at all interested in the game of hockey. What makes this article even worse was the fact that it was published a couple of years before the Coyotes even claimed bankruptcy.

I definitely feel sorry for all the Coyotes fans in Arizona. I know that there are some die-hard Coyotes fans down there. They may not have the biggest crowds in Phoenix but they sure are loud, especially this season.

I guess one of the biggest keys to a successful franchise is putting a winning team on the ice and so far the Coyotes have done just that. Just recently a guy walked past my car and saw the "Phoenix Sucks" sticker on my car and said to me "Phoenix doesn't suck, they are actually doing pretty good."

So maybe winning is a key to getting Winnipegers change their opinion about the Coyotes.

In the end, I think it will always be tough to be a Phoenix Coyotes fan, especially in Winnipeg. If the Coyotes can keep on winning, it sure would make it a lot easier to be a fan. I am confident enough to say that things are looking up for the Phoenix Coyotes an its fans.

Ed Jovanovski Off to Great Start

Cameron Paul — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:13:50 -0400

When the Phoenix Coyotes signed Ed Jovanovski back in July of 2006, they were getting an injury-plagued player that had not played a full season for three years.

In the 2005-06 season, his last with the Vancouver Canucks, Jovanovski was limited to a career low 44 games. He was on pace for a career year. The Coyotes knew if Jovanovski could stay healthy he could be a rock for them on defense.

Unfortunately for the 2006-07 season, his first with the Coyotes, Jovanovski again missed significant time, appearing in just 54 games. It wasn’t until his second season with the Coyotes in 2007-08 that Jovanovski showed what he could do, recording a career high 51 points in 80 games.

Although Jovanovski would manage to stay healthy for the entire 2008-09 season, he had a huge drop in points from 51 to 36 and had an abysmal minus-15 plus/minus rating.

Fast forward to the current season in which Jovanovski has come out of the gate firing, with nine points through the first 10 games. More important than individual stats, he has been a huge reason why the Coyotes are winning. And he has been one of the main keys as to why Phoenix’s powerplay has greatly improved from a year ago.

With the 2010 Winter Olympics just around the corner, you can bet Steve Yzerman and company are going to take a good hard look at former Gold Medal winner Jovanovski, especially if he continues with his great play.

At age 33, Ed Jovanovski is still in the prime of his career. Whether or not he ends up helping the Coyotes make the playoffs for the first time in seven years, or helps Team Canada win another Olympic Gold Medal, he still has a chance to make the 2009-10 season his best one yet.

Coyotes Getting It Done With Defense

Cameron Paul — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:07:21 -0400

The Phoenix Coyotes struggled mightily last season to put the puck in the net—finishing 26th in the league for goals per game. That hasn't changed so far this season, as they rank near the bottom in goals for. What has changed, is their goals against.

Through the first five games the Coyotes have averaged an outstanding 1.40 goals against per game. In the process, they shut down two of the leagues most offensively powered teams in the Pittsburgh Penguins and the San Jose Sharks.

Dave Tippett and his coaching staff seem to have put in a defensive system that works for the Coyotes. It seems like the team can finally have a true identity for the first time in a long time.

Ilya Bryzgalov is on pace to amass 33 shutouts, a stat that obviously would be near impossible to reach. Although he will have a tough time keeping up his early season stats, Bryzgalov should improve greatly on his numbers from last season.

So the question is—will this defensive system hold up for the Coyotes or will they have to start putting the puck in the net more often? Only time will tell.

Coyotes Try to Stay Unbeaten Against Sabres

Cameron Paul — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:01:24 -0400

In their second game in as many days the Phoenix Coyotes will take on the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night.

The Coyotes are looking to go a perfect 3-0 to start the season for the first time since 2003-04. Here are three keys to the game if the Coyotes want to come away with a win.

Stamina

In any case when playing back to back games, stamina is going to play a huge role in the outcome of the game. It is especially the case for Thursday's game since they played a tough game against the defending the Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins last night. Also the Buffalo Sabres have not played since Saturday and should be full of energy.

Can't Take Penalties.

The Coyotes may have been perfect on the penalty kill last night against the Penguins but if you keep on taking the amount of penalties they have, it will eventually hurt you. It also doesn't help that the Coyotes had one of the worst penalty kills last year.

Goaltending

You might be wondering how goaltending can be a problem, when the Coyotes posted a shutout in their last game. Well that is because backup goaltender Jason LaBarbera will get his first start as a Phoenix Coyote. He was a solid backup behind Roberto Luongo last year in Vancouver and will have to repeat his performance this season if the Coyotes are to win.

Prediction

I think the Coyotes will be a tired team and may find it hard against the fresh legged Sabres. However I think the Coyotes will be playing with a lot of confidence and should squeeze through a 3-2 win.

Coyotes Make Champs Look Like Chumps

Cameron Paul — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:36:58 -0400

The Phoenix Coyotes were able to pull off an impressive 3-0 win over the defending Stanley Cup Champions Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night.

The Coyotes got another solid team effort. Although Ilya Brzgalov was not forced to make huge saves he was still perfect on the night, making 24 saves for the shutout.

The Coyotes opened the scoring when Ed Jovanovski scored on the power-play. That was only one of the nine chances the Coyotes had on the power-play, as the Penguins spent a great deal of time in the box.

Petr Prucha scored the second goal for the Coyotes, on his back. The nail was put on the coffin when Radim Vrbata shot a puck into an empty net for already his third goal of the season.

After allowing three goals on the penalty kill against the L.A Kings the Coyotes finished the game a perfect 5 for 5 against the Penguins.

The Coyotes don't get any rest as they head right back at it against the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night.

Penguins Stand as Huge Stepping Stone for Coyotes

Cameron Paul — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:10:09 -0400

If the Coyotes want to come away with a win Wednesday night against the defending Stanley Cup Champions Pittsburgh Penguins, it would prove to be a huge stepping stone for the Coyotes. However, if they lose, they will still have eighty more games to prove themselves.

The Coyotes are coming off an impressive season opening 6-3 win against the L.A Kings. In order for them to beat the highly talented Penguins, the Coyotes will have to do a few things:

The first thing they have to do is improve their penalty kill. They were 1 for 4 on the penalty against the Kings. Coyote’s defenseman Kurt Sauer is looked upon to shut down the opposing team’s star players and will have his hands full on Wednesday with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

The Coyotes struggled last season to score goals, but were able to record six goals against the Kings. They are going to need a continued team effort in order to keep up the offense.

The last thing they are going to need against the Penguins — and any team for that matter — is more consistent goaltending from Iyla Bryzgalov. Against the Kings on Saturday night, Bryzgalov was solid making thirty saves. He is going to need to make at least the same amount of saves in order to win against the offensively talented Penguins.

It may be only game two of the season for the Coyotes, but getting two points against a great team will not only improve their confidence, but will improve their chances of still being in the playoff hunt come Spring time.

2009-10 Phoenix Coyotes Fantasy Predictions

Cameron Paul — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 22:27:22 -0400

Another NHL season is quickly coming upon us. After the all the off-ice issues the Coyotes have battled in the off-season, no team is more eager to start the season. Here are my player point predictions for the 2009-10 Phoenix Coyotes.

Forwards

Mikkel Boedker: GP: 75, G: 18, A: 25, PTS: 43

He is coming off a solid rookie season. A 20-goal season isn't out of reach for the 19-year-old sophomore.

Shane Doan: GP: 82, G: 34, A: 47, PTS: 81

Doan had a career-high 31 goals last year but his overall point total dropped from the season before. He will be playing with more experienced players this season so expect his numbers to rise.

Vernon Fiddler: GP: 82, G: 12, A: 16, PTS: 28

Fiddler has always been a defensive player first, so don't expect any change from the veteran. Although, you should expect Fiddler to improve on his production from last year. He will get the opportunity to play a bigger role in Phoenix than he did in Nashville.

Martin Hanzal: GP: 76, G: 18, A: 30, PTS: 48

Hanzal like a lot of Coyotes players seen a decrease in stats from the season before. This season he will be reunited with Radim Vrbata, who Hanzal had great chemistry with in his rookie year. It is safe to say with another year of experience under his belt, Hanzal should easily increase his point totals.

Lauri Korpikoski:GP: 70, G: 9, A: 8, PTS: 17

He was acquired in the off-season from the New York Rangers for fellow youngster Enver Lisin. However unlike Lisin, Korpikoski is more of a defensive player. Don't expect any high offensive output, as more than likely Korpikoski will play a checking line role with the Coyotes.

Matthew Lombardi: GP: 82, G: 25, A: 35, PTS: 60

Lombardi had a great finish to last season. This year should be a breakout season for the speedy forward.

Peter Mueller: GP: 79, G: 27, A: 40, PTS: 67

Mueller suffered the dreaded sophomore slump last season. Expect his point totals to rise significantly, as he has too much talent not to produce more.

Kevin Porter: GP: 65, G: 10, A: 16, PTS: 26

Porter split last season between the Coyotes and the Rampage. When he was playing in the NHL, he had decent production. I expect him to crack the Coyotes lineup full time this year and should put up some respectable numbers.

Petr Prucha: GP: 77, G: 17, A: 28, PTS: 45

Prucha's numbers have been in decline ever since his rookie season, but expect that to change as he will play a much larger role than he did with the Rangers.

Taylor Pyatt: GP: 71, G: 14, A: 12 PTS: 26

The newest member of the Phoenix Coyotes had a career-high 23 goals for Vancouver in the 2006-07 season, playing on a line with the Sedin twins. He will not be surrounded in Phoenix with that same amount of talent, so don't expect a repeat of those numbers.

Viktor Tikhonov: GP: 65, G: 10, A: 13, PTS: 23

Entering his sophomore season, expect more of the defense-first style of play from Tikhonov. Expect his numbers to stay around the same.

Kyle Turris: GP: 41, G: 8, A: 16, PTS: 24

Turris had a disappointing season to say the least. With the amount of the depth the Coyotes have this year on forwards, Turris most likely will split time between the Coyotes and the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL.

Although he hasn't lived quite up to expectations so far , Turris has the skill needed to be an elite player in the NHL.

Radim Vrbata: GP: 72, G: 24, A: 34, PTS: 58

The only way you can describe last season for Vrbata is a complete failure. He is now back to the team where he recorded a career high 27 goals in 2007-08. You can expect Vrbata to get close to if not match those career numbers.

Scottie Upshall: GP: 82, G: 21, A: 27, PTS: 48

When Upshall came over to the Coyotes at the trade deadline he immediately took on a bigger role. This season, Upshall will continue to play a huge role with the Coyotes, so you can expect a career year from him.

Defenseman

Keith Yandle: GP: 74, G: 7, A: 34, PTS: 41

Despite being in Gretzky's doghouse last season, Yandle managed to record 30 points in his first full season in the NHL. Expect Phoenix's top offensive defenseman's numbers to rise, especially with Gretzky no longer behind the bench.

Ed Jovanovski: GP: 78, G: 6A: 36, PTS: 42

One of the few of Phoenix's big name players also saw production go down from a year ago. Still, Jovanovski has shown he can stay healthy the last couple of seasons and is good for 40-plus points.

Adrian Aucoin: GP: 82, G: 9, A: 28, PTS: 37

Although Aucoin has seen his better years pass behind him, but he is still a solid veteran presence. He should see significant time on the power play. If the Coyotes can improve their power play, Aucoin will improve his numbers.

Zbynek Michalek: GP: 82, G: 4, A: 28, PTS: 32

The fact that Michalek led the league in shots blocked last season should go to show you that he is a defense first kind of player. That is not to say Michalek can't score, as he is usually good for 30 points a season.

Kurt Sauer: GP: 82, G: 1, A: 5, PTS: 6

All you need to know about Sauer is that he is the Coyotes best “shutdown” defenseman.

James Vandermeer: GP: 68, G: 2, A: 8 PTS: 10

Acquired from Calgary for his great defensive play and that is exactly what he will provide for the Coyotes.

Sami Lepisto:GP: 32, G: 3, A: 9, PTS: 12

He has put up high numbers in the AHL, but Lepisto is at least a season away from getting full time duty on the Phoenix defensive corpse.

Goaltenders

Ilya Bryzgalov: GP: 60, W: 32, GAA: 2.54, SV%: .916, SO:4

He is coming off a decent showing in his first full season as an NHL starter. With the moves the Coyotes made in the off-season to improve their defense, you should expect Bryzgalov's numbers to rise.

Jason LaBarbera: GP: 22, W: 8, GAA: 2.75, SV%: .905, SO:1

Once a No. 1 goalie in Los Angeles, he is now a solid backup goaltender. He played behind Roberto Luongo last season, so LaBarbera will definitely see more action in the Coyotes net this year.

Phoenix Coyotes 2009 Trade Deadline Review

Cameron Paul — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 16:50:16 -0500

The 2009 NHL Trade Deadline started off slow but really picked up at the end. The Phoenix Coyotes were one of the busiest teams on the day, making a total of four trades. The moves will be significant in both the present and the future of the franchise.

Here are the trades that the Coyotes made and what I think of them:

Phoenix gets a 2010 fourth-round draft pick; Buffalo gets Mikael Tellqvist

With starting goalie Ryan Miller out with an ankle injury, the Buffalo Sabres needed another netminder. The man they acquired was Phoenix Coyotes backup Mikael Tellqvist. Although Tellqvist is not a No. 1, he is a great fill-in who is capable of taking over the Sabres' goal until Miller is healthy enough.

The fourth-round pick that the Coyotes received isn’t much, but you can’t expect much for a backup goaltender. With Tellqvist gone, it is more than likely that Josh Tjordman will become the Coyotes' backup for the rest of the season.

Who got the better end? Buffalo.

Phoenix gets Matthew Lombardi, Brandon and Prust, and a 2009 or 2010 first-round draft pick; Calgary gets Olli Jokinen and a third-round draft pick.

This was probably the biggest trade of all on deadline day. There was a lot of speculation if and where Jokinen was going to go, and it turns out that the team to get him is the Calgary Flames.

The Flames now have a big center that will most likely play on a line with Jarome Iginla. Jokinen will reunite with his former Florida Panthers head coach Mike Keenan.

Jokinen will finally get a shot to play in the Playoffs with Calgary. He wasn’t having the best of seasons with Phoenix but should pick it up by playing with better and more experienced players.

The Phoenix Coyotes got a very quick player in Matthew Lombardi. He is still young at 26 years old and should play on one of the top two lines for the Coyotes. He has recently stepped up his game and was one of the Flames' best players heading into the deadline.

Brandon Prust is a gritty, hard-working player who will most likely be nothing more than a fourth-liner for the Coyotes. The first-round draft pick is either a 2009 or 2010 pick, depending on what the Flames decide. My guess is that the pick will be a 2009 pick, since that will be a late first-round pick.

Who got the better end? It was a tie.

Phoenix gets Scottie Upshall and a second-round draft pick; Philadelphia gets Daniel Carcillo

To be honest, this trade really surprised me. I didn’t think Carcillo would go, but I was wrong, as he was sent to the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Flyers welcome one of the league’s premier enforcers. He currently leads the NHL in penalty minutes, something he did last year as well, as a rookie. Although he is not having the best offensive season, he doesn’t have the worst hands. I still think he is capable of scoring 20 goals a season.

Scottie Upshall is a great third-line energy player who has the talent to put up a decent amount of points. I do not think he has lived up to his potential after being drafted sixth overall in 2002, but he still can be a useful player for the Coyotes. When you add the second-round draft pick, I think it really makes the Coyotes come out as winners in this trade.

Who got the better end? Phoenix.

Phoenix gets Dmitri Kalinin, Nigel Dawes, and Petr Prucha; N.Y. Rangers get Derek Morris

It took a while for Morris to finally get traded, but when he was, it was to the New York Rangers.

The Rangers get a very solid two-way defenseman in Morris; he should help their push to the Playoffs. His numbers aren’t what they used to be earlier in his career, but he is still capable of putting up 30-plus points.

The Coyotes got a great value in return for Morris.

Dmitri Kalinin is a decent defenseman who will take over Morris’ spot in the lineup. But he is a pending UFA, and even if he plays strong for the Coyotes for the rest of the season, I have a hard time believing the Coyotes will re-sign him.

Nigel Dawes is a great young player who will help the Coyotes now and in the future. He has the potential to consistently score 20 goals a season. He is a pending RFA, but expect the Coyotes to re-sign him.

Petr Prucha is the question mark in this deal. He’s got the talent and has shown he can score 30 goals a season, but his point totals have decreased as of late. I think if he gets more ice time, he can produce at least 20 goals a season.

Who got the better end? Phoenix.

Final Thoughts

I actually think the Coyotes did the best out of all the teams on the trade deadline. They got some great forwards who will make an impact this season and for seasons to come. You add the draft picks they received, and their bright future just got a lot brighter.

Phoenix Coyotes Getting a New Owner?

Cameron Paul — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 22:47:29 -0500

According to TSN, an offer has been made to the buy the Phoenix Coyotes. Hopefully. this will lead to a new owner for the financially-struggling Coyotes.

The City of Glendale, where the Coyotes play, have played a significant part in rallying the interest from potential buyers. There are believed to be as many as two other possible parties who are serious about putting in an offer to buy the team.

I personally think this is great for the City of Phoenix and all of the Coyotes' fans. The team is struggling both on and off the ice right now. They have gone 2-8 in their last 10 games. Hopefully, after all this is settled, they can put all of their attention on the ice, as it should be.

There are also rumors going around that the Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney is only being allowed to offer one-year deals to the Coyotes' restricted free agents. Hopefully this news changes that.

Coyotes' restricted free agent Derek Morris has already stated that if he only get a one-year deal, he won't accept because at this point in his career he is ready for a long-term commitment.

Olli Jokinen Playing More Like Olli “Jokingnen”

Cameron Paul — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 13:40:03 -0500

Excuse me for my lame title but I feel that Jokinen’s play this year for the Phoenix Coyotes has been nothing short of a joke.

When Phoenix acquired Jokinen at the draft from Florida, I was overjoyed. Finally the Coyotes had a legit first line centerman.

Now I wish we could go back in time and make sure that trade never happened. The Coyotes gave up two great defensemen in Keith Ballard and Nick Boynton. Both are enjoying great seasons with the Panthers.

At 30 years of age, Olli Jokinen should be entering the prime of his career; he should not be on the decline. At his best, Jokinen can and has shown he is capable of being a 90-plus point scorer. The Panthers weren’t the best of teams, either.

Jokinen hasn’t even recorded a goal in the month of February. He’s currently on pace for barely 50 points. That is a 20-point decrease from a mediocre 2007-08 season with the Panthers.

If Jokinen continues on the pace he is on, he will record his lowest point totals since the 20001-02, when he recorded just 29 points.

I’m not quite sure why he isn’t producing like I, and most others, thought he would. Maybe you could say it is the lack of talent on the Coyotes roster, but that wasn’t a problem in Florida. Maybe it’s taking him time to mesh with his teammates, but more than halfway into the season you would think he has had enough time.

There are a couple of legit reasons why he might be struggling. The first is that the Coyotes play a system that may not suit the style that Jokinen plays. The second is that he doesn’t play the Southeast Division anymore.

The Southeast Division was and probably still is one of the weaker divisions in the NHL. The Pacific Division, on the other hand, is one of the best if not the best in the NHL. He can no longer pile up the points on weaker teams like Atlanta and Tampa Bay.

With the trade deadline fast approaching, Jokinen’s name has appeared in numerous trade rumors. Although it may seem early to trade Jokinen, the Coyotes are quickly fading out of the playoff picture.

Unless they have confidence that Jokinen will improve his production this and next season, then the time is now to trade him. They should be able to get an excellent return who can help the Coyotes now and in the future.

Phoenix Coyotes 2009 Trade Deadline Preview

Cameron Paul — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 02:06:11 -0500

The trade deadline of March 4 is fast approaching. The question is, are the Phoenix Coyotes buyers or sellers? If they continue to play as poorly as they have recently, they will definitely be sellers come the deadline. The Coyotes have a few great players who may be available for a team ready to make an impact in the playoffs.

Players Available

Derek Morris

The Coyotes would love to keep Morris because he is one of their top defenders and he is a good leader on a young Coyotes team. It is these same reasons why it’s in the Coyotes best interest to trade him. He can bring in a great return from playoff bound teams looking to improve their defense. If the Coyotes do plan on keeping him they most likely want to work out a contract for him as he is an UFA come end of the season.

Steven Reinprecht

Reinprecht is another pending UFA who should attract considerable interest from playoff caliber teams. Throughout his career he has shown he can be a consistent 40 plus point scorer. So far this season until a shoulder injury sidelined, him he was on pace for a career year. He has recorded 29 points in 49 games. He is a great player for teams looking for depth in center position as he is a very capable second or third line centerman.

Mikael Tellqvist

Tellqvist is a solid, dependable backup goaltender. The problem is I don’t think there are a lot of teams looking for goaltenders right now, especially backup ones. I think if a team really wanted a goalie come the deadline there are better options available.

Possibly Available

Olli Jokinen

Recently there have been a lot of rumors going around that Jokinen is available. The most current rumor is him going to Montreal. Although Jokinen would get a great deal of interest from many teams, I think it’s too early to trade him. The Coyotes traded arguably one of their best defenseman in Keith Ballard to get Jokinen in the offseason. He has only played half a season. It sort of seems a waste of trade by giving up on him so early.

Even though Jokinen isn’t producing as much as people would like, I still don’t think the Coyotes management should deal him. Unless there is an offer on the table that is too good to refuse I think Jokinen deserves more time to prove himself.

If come next year’s deadline and Jokinen is in the same situation then it is time to deal him especially since he will be a UFA after next season. I fully expect Jokinen to turn it on for the rest of this and next season.

Ed Jovanovski

There are a couple of reasons why Jovanovski is hard to trade. First and foremost he has a no trade clause. I have a feeling he doesn’t want to move anywhere. Second if does allow a trade to happen he carries a huge contract with him. He is currently making 6.5 million through the 2010-11 season. I also so think he is just too valuable to the team to trade away without getting another proven NHL defenseman.

Not Available

Shane Doan

Doan like Jovanovski has a not trade clause but in this case there is no way he is waiving it. The Phoenix Coyotes are Doan’s only team he has ever played for and don’t see that changing for the rest of his career. He is the heart and soul of this team. If Doan was to go it would have been a couple of years ago before he signed a contract extension with the Coyotes.

Ilya Bryzgalov

Although he has battled inconsistency this season he still remains one of the top players on the Coyotes. Without him this year the Coyotes would have been even worse. There has been games where he could of played better but most of the time this season it has more about lack of scoring then preventing them.

Other unavailable players: Peter Mueller, Kyle Turris, Keith Yandle, Mikkel Boedker, Martin Hanzal

If the Coyotes are Buyers

If the Coyotes can somehow string a few wins together and become buyers come the trade deadline, don’t expect them to be much of a buyer. General Manager Don Maloney already stated earlier in the season that they would only trade for players that are equal in both age and contract wise. Another possibility is acquiring another depth defenseman for a low draft pick.

Wayne Gretzky: The Man of 1,000 Expressions

Cameron Paul — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 19:25:52 -0500

Wayne Gretzky as a player was always in the spotlight and was never afraid to show his emotions on the ice.. Now as the Head Coach of the Phoenix Coyotes he is still in the spotlight and he continues to show his emotions. The difference now as a coach it can get quite frustrating at times and it definitely shows on his face. Gretzky may not be the best coach right now but he sure is one of the most entertaining. Here's the top 10 Wayne Gretzky facial expressions behind the bench.

Begin Slideshow

Time for Gretzky to Step Down

Cameron Paul — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 18:57:17 -0500

Wayne Gretzky will never be fired as the head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes. That is why the only way to make a change is for him is to step down. There is no better time than now with the Coyotes losing six straight games in regulation, the longest such streak since the 1993-94 season, while they were still in Winnipeg.

When Gretzky announced that he was going to go behind the bench for the 2005-06 season, I, like most other Coyotes fans', was ecstatic. Here you have the greatest player to ever play the game behind the bench of my favorite team. There was just so much potential for greatness. Four years later, and the team has been mediocre at best.

Now that I think about it, there were a few reasons why “The Great One” was destined to fail behind the bench of the Phoenix Coyotes.

One reason is because Gretzky, being the all-time leader in points, would be always in the spotlight. He has had pressure from everyone in the media and in the fans alike. He‘s the greatest player of all-time, so why can’t he be at the least a good coach who is capable of taking a team to the playoffs? Like in many other cases were Hall of Fame hockey players go behind the bench, it just doesn’t work out.

One recent example was with the Chicago Blackhawks' Denis Savard, who was fired only four games into the current NHL season. I think this happens because there is a lack of coaching experience.

This is especially the case with Gretzky. He had no previous coaching experience. It’s hard enough to coach a young team like the Coyotes with coaching experience, never mind without.

The last reason his run as coach was meant to fail is because he took over a team that wasn’t very good to begin with. I could probably see him having more success on a better team, but then again there aren’t a lot of times when good teams are looking for coaches.

It’s not like Gretzky had a choice which team he coached, anyways, with him being part owner and head of hockey operations for the team.

The bottom line is Gretzky had his chance and he should be smart enough to know when enough is enough. There are so many good coaches out there with plenty of NHL coaching experience that Gretzky can get to replace himself.

Then just maybe they can get what is turning out to be another disappointing season and turn it into a playoff season.

Phoenix Coyotes Struggling To Put the Puck in the Net

Cameron Paul — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 02:18:40 -0500

In the past few seasons the Phoenix Coyotes have always lacked offense. They have recently taken that lack of offense to a whole other level.

In the four games since the All-Star break, the Coyotes have scored a combined total of four goals. It is safe to say they lost all of those games. There are a few reasons why there is a lack of offense on the Coyotes behalf.

The first reason is their absolutely dreadful power play. Their power play currently ranks second last in the league with dismal 13.1 percent success rate. The Coyotes are currently on a 0-19 run on the power play. That is simply unacceptable.

Head Coach Wayne Gretzky had the team recently in practice work mainly on their weak power play, so far none of that work is showing.

One of the reasons their power play isn’t working like it should be is their lack of puck control. One of the best ways to gain puck control is by winning faceoff’s.

The Coyotes are the leagues worse faceoff team. They have a dismal 43.6 percent faceoff winning percentage. To put it into perspective, the second worse faceoff team, the Dallas Stars have a full five percent higher faceoff winning percentage.

The Coyotes lack any real good faceoff men. It’s too bad they don’t have Yanic Perrault anymore because he could sure teach the Coyotes a thing or two on how to win a faceoff.

Another reason they are struggling to score goals is because they recently have had injuries to a couple of key offensive contributors. Both Peter Mueller and Steven Reinprecht are out with injuries.

They are currently third and fourth respectively on the Coyotes in points. The Coyotes sure do miss both of these key players.

Lastly the Coyotes are just not getting enough production of their star off season acquisition in Olli Jokinen. He is currently on pace for a 54 point season, his worst point total since the 2001-02 season.

That is just way too low for a guy who has the potential and has shown he can score 90-plus points. He is not helping on the power play or at the faceoff dot either.

The NHL Western Conference is very tight especially from the fifth to the eighth position. If the Coyotes can’t start scoring more goals they can kiss their playoff hopes goodbye.

Injury Bug Taking Bite Out of the Phoenix Coyotes

Cameron Paul — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 18:17:54 -0500

Last season the Coyotes were fortunate enough to have little to no injuries. This year however has been a different story. The Coyotes currently have four players on the injured list. These players are Viktor Tikhonov (Hand), Peter Mueller (Concussion), Steve Reinprecht (Shoulder), and Kurt Sauer (Lower Body).

Viktor Tikhonov suffered a hand injury on January 8th and hasn’t played since. He is expected to be back in the lineup within a week. Tikhonov has been a great suprise defensively for the Coyotes this season.

When he was in the lineup he was one of the Coyotes top penalty killers. Since he has been out the lineup the Coyotes penalty kill has started to fall off a bit. They currently have the 20th ranked penalty kill in the league. Expect that to rise with the return of Viktor Tikhonov.

Peter Mueller suffered his first notable injury in the NHL when he was forced to leave a game on January 27th against the Anaheim Ducks with a minor concussion.

He is expected to be back very soon. The Coyotes hope he can come back as soon as possible as his presence can only help the league's secondworst powerplay.

The first diagnosis of Steven Reinprecht’s injured shoulder had him out for 4 -12 weeks. His status has since been updated to two weeks on the injured list. The two weeks that he will be out are still going to be a tough couple weeks for the Coyotes.

Reinprecht has been one of the Coyotes' best player’s this season. He currently ranks fourth on the Coyotes with 28 points. Not to mention Reinprecht is one of a few veteran leaders the Coyotes have in the locker room.

The most significant injury to the Coyotes so far this season is to that of defenseman Kurt Sauer. Sauer has been out since January 10th but is expected to be back in the lineup in the next couple weeks. When Sauer was in the Coyotes lineup he played huge minutes and was responsible for shutting down some of the league’s top players.

In replacement of Sauer, both David Hale and Keith Yandle were given permanent spots on the Coyotes blue line. While Yandle has stepped up his game both offensively and defensively, Hale has been prone to making some costly defensive mistakes.

The Coyotes defensive group isn’t very deep to begin with so getting a healthy Kurt Sauer back will give much more depth to the Coyotes blue line.

The Coyotes have been patient throughout all of the injuries this season and that’s what they will continue to do. Players like Joel Perrault and Alexander Nikulin have come into the lineup and contributed what they can. The Coyotes should have all their players back in time for the stretch run. At the end of that run could be their first playoff appearance in seven years.

Coyotes: Working for a “Whiteout”

Cameron Paul — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 06:54:56 -0400

Not since the Coyotes first arrived in the desert has there been so much optimism heading into the season. Last season the Coyotes were in the playoff hunt up until the last month of the season when they just simply ran out of gas.

This year the Coyotes are heading into the season with only one thing on their minds: the playoffs. With the Coyotes group of talented players, this goal is certainly a possibility.

The Coyotes wil be one of the youngest teams in the league again this year, but star sophomores Martin Hanzal and Peter Mueller have a year of experience under their belts. They will be expected to improve on their excellent rookie seasons.

Mueller and Hanzal join a talented crop of forwards that already includes captain Shane Doan and newly acquired Olli Jokinen.

Like last year the Coyotes will ice a load of gifted rookies including Calder Trophy candidate Kyle Turris and super Dane Mikkel Boedker. If you add the gritty players like Carcillo, Fedoruk, and Winnik, you have a great mix of forwards.

On defense the Coyotes will ice a few new as well as familiar faces. Ed Jovanovski, Derek Morris and Zbynek Michalek are the returning defenseman.

Keith Ballard and Nick Boynton were traded in the offseason and in their place the Coyotes signed shutdown defenseman Kurt Sauer and David Hale.

Youngster Keith Yandle who played half the season with the Coyotes last season is expected to round out the Coyotes defense corps. With the exception of Keith Yandle and Ed Jovanovski, the Coyotes are going to play aggressive defense and will try to shutdown other team’s big stars.

When it comes to the Coyotes goaltending situation it is as solid as ever. Ilya Brzgalov is entering his first full season with the Coyotes. If he has a season anything like his first in the desert, Phoenix will be in great hands.

The backup situation is just as good with two very capable goalies in Mikael Tellqvist and Al Montoya. Tellqvist has proven to be a very reliable backup.

Montoya has been waiting for his chance to show off his excellent goaltending skills. The Coyotes goaltending is definitely something that they don’t have to worry about.

When the Coyotes relocated from Winnipeg they carried over a playoff tradition called the “Whiteout”. The “Whiteout” is where every fan in the stands wears white during a home playoff game. It creates a truly marvelous effect.

There has not been a “Whiteout” in Phoenix since the 2001-02 season, but with the talent the Coyotes have now it is only a matter of time.

NHL:Coyotes Had a “Tough” Offseason

Cameron Paul — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 04:59:58 -0400

The Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney said his goal this off-season was to get more toughness and that is exactly what he did. Maloney acquired several players who are known to get on the stat sheet, not in the points department but in penalty minutes. These players include Brian McGrattan, Todd Fedoruk, Francis Lessard, and Garth Murray.

McGrattan is probably pound for pound the toughest guy in the bunch. He is a great player for protecting star players like Kyle Turris and Peter Meuller. He is also definitely not afraid of dropping the gloves from time to time. The problem with McGrattan is has absolutely no offensive skills.

This lack of offense will keep him from getting a regular spot in the lineup. Todd Fedoruk is probably the most skilled of these players because he can play both sides of the game. Earlier in his career Fedoruk was a pure fighter but now has realized that if he wants to keep a spot on an NHL roster he has to be more than a one dimensional player.

If given a decent amount of playing time Fedoruk is capable of producing a decent amount of points. It is because of this that Fedoruk will probably see a regular spot on the Coyotes lineup. When it comes to Francis Lessard, he is clearly a minor league depth guy.

This is especially true since the Coyotes signed a few similar players who have more talent and experience than Lessard. Although he will still add lots of grit for the Coyotes AHL affiliates the San Antonio Rampage. He will be relied on to protect the Coyotes up and coming players like Brett Maclean and Chad Kolarik.

Lastly, we have Garth Murray. He is a player who has the talent to play in the NHL but has probably run out of chances for the time being. Murray is a great checker who can occasionally pop in a goal or two when the time comes.

Murray will probably start out in the American Hockey League to begin the season. If he can produce at that level like he has before, he will probably get a shot at cracking the lineup later on in the season. The Coyotes wanted to add toughness and that is exactly what they got.

Not only did they add grit for their NHL team but they also added grit for the Rampage. Daniel Carcillo who was previously relied on to be the Coyotes go to fighter now has a chance to display his offensive talent. One thing is for sure the Coyotes certainly won’t be pushovers come next season.

Coyotes Defense: A Great Mixture

Cameron Paul — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:36:12 -0400

When the Coyotes acquired Olli Jokinen from the Florida Panthers at this years NHL Entry Draft they created a huge hole in their defense by trading both defense-man Keith Ballard and Nick Boynton.

Ballard was a great offensive defense-man who also wasn’t afraid dishing out some of his trademark hip checks. He was loved in the dressing room as he was a great teammate.

Boynton on the other hand was a pure defensive specialist and a great leader on and off the ice. He was the type guy who would stick up for a fellow teammate no matter what the situation.

With these guys gone it was now GM Don Maloney’s time to replace them, which wasn’t an easy task. Maloney’s first step in replacing them was signing free agent Kurt Sauer previously of the Colorado Avalanche.

Sauer is a very good defensive specialist who is known for playing against some of the leagues best players like Joe Thornton and Jarome Iginla on a night in night out basis.

After Maloney obtained Sauer he then got UFA defense-man David Hale signed to a contract. Hale is probably known most for currently holding the record most games played by an active player without scoring a goal at 215 games.

That fact doesn’t really matter because Hale is not paid to score goals, he is paid to defend and that is exactly what he does.

Sauer and Hale join a defensive corps that all ready includes an all-star defense-man in Ed Jovanovski, a great defender in Zbynek Michalek, an excellent veteran presence in Derek Morris, and a young offensively gifted defense-man in 21-year-old Keith Yandle.

Add up all of these defense-man together and you got a great mix of veteran and young players who are capable of guiding the Phoenix Coyotes to the playoffs for the first time since the 2001-02 season.

Coyotes Goalies Situation: From Non-Existence to Rock-Solid

Cameron Paul — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 07:57:35 -0400

The Phoenix Coyotes goaltending situation has done a 180 in the past year. Flashback to the beginning of last season, remember the “Three Headed Monster” the Coyotes had in goal? The three heads consisted of Alex Auld, David Aebischer, and Mikael Tellqvist, which was quite a scary monster, but not in a good way.

The Coyotes had no clue which goalie would take the ball and run with and in the process become the franchises number one goalie. As it turned out, neither of these three goalies or David Leneveu, another goalie waiting in the wings, would take that ball nor become that number one goalie that the Coyotes so desperately needed.

Mikael Tellqvist would start the season in goal for Phoenix and would get the win in the season opener against the St. Louis Blues. The Coyotes then passed the ball to Aebischer, who played in only one game, a loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-0. Finally the Coyotes gave Auld a chance to make his mark and it looked like he was going to take that ball and run with it for a long time. Auld would manage to keep a .500 record with a shutout in his first six games after that it would be all-downhill, as he would lose his next three games in poor fashion.

It was 15 games into the season and the Coyotes goalie situation was the same if not worse than it was to begin the season. The Coyotes got rid of Aebischer, loaning him HC Lugano of the Swiss league for the remainder of the season.

Then out of nowhere a gift fell right out of the sky right onto the Coyotes’ lap. The Coyotes opened it up to find a number one goalie by the name of Ilya Bryzgalov who was put on waivers by the Anaheim Ducks because they already had two great goalies in J.S Giguere and Jonas Hiller.

For the first time since Nikolai Khabibulin and Sean Burke, the Coyotes had a true No. 1 goalie capable of taking them to the playoffs and beyond. The Coyotes season went from being in the race for Steven Stamkos to being in a race for a playoff spot, all because of Bryzgalov’s spectacular play in net and a lot of hard work from the players in front of him.

The Coyotes finished with 38-37-7 record good for 83 points, eight points shy of a playoff spot, a 16 point increase from the 2006-07 season. None of it would have been possible without the gift from the Ducks.

Back to the present, heading into the 2008-09 season the Coyotes not only have a No. 1 goalie for the foreseeable future, but also have but three great options in backup goaltenders. First you have Mikael Tellqvist, the only goalie left of “Three Headed Monster,” who was the backup for Bryzgalov last season and did a very solid job in doing it.

Next you have Al Montoya who the Coyotes acquired from the New York Rangers at last year’s trade deadline. He played all of last season in the AHL with both Hartford and San Antonio. Montoya was once again stellar posting a 24-14-3 record with 2.54 GAA and .912 save percentage.

Finally you have an up-and-comer Josh Tordjman. The 23-year-old posted similar stats to Montoya sporting a 22-14-4 record with 2.65 goals against average and a .910 save percentage. All three of theses goalies will get a chance to battle it out for the backup job come training camp in September.

As you can see there has been a significant change between the pipes for the Coyotes. They not only have a great goaltending tandem for the present, but one that can continue to shine for many years to come.