Arizona Coyotes

Arizona Coyotes' Biggest Questions Entering 2016-17 Season

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Apr 2, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Coyotes players celebrate a victory against the Washington Capitals after the third period at Gila River Arena. The Coyotes won 3-0. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Coyotes are beginning 2016-17 with a much improved roster. Still, there are many questions surrounding the team as they try to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2011-12.

John Chayka has reshaped the Arizona Coyotes roster into a leaner, meaner outfit.

They’ve dropped aging veterans for productive replacements, and replaced others with hungry prospects ready to make their mark on the NHL.

The franchise is no longer in turmoil, but it is still rebuilding.

There have been no white-outs in Glendale since 2011-12.

Head Coach Dave Tippett looks to change that in 2016-17, but do the Coyotes have enough firepower to leap at least one of their Californian counterparts for a playoff spot?

Howlin’ Hockey is exploring some of the biggest questions heading into the most exciting season of Arizona Coyotes hockey in some time. Our staff breaks down their thoughts on everything from goaltending to playoff potential, so without further ado…

Oct 5, 2016; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun (6) controls the puck against Calgary Flames during the third period during a preseason hockey game at Scotiabank Saddledome. Calgary Flames won 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

Five rookies made the Coyotes roster to start the season. Three of those rookies (Dylan Strome, Jakob Chychrun, Lawson Crouse) are eligible to be returned to junior hockey. Do you foresee any of these kids remaining in Arizona for the full season?

Vincent Benedict:

I think Dylan Strome and Lawson Crouse have the best chance of remaining on the roster full time.

Crouse mainly due to his size. He is a big bodied player that the Coyotes need. Strome plays center and could use as much NHL ice time as possible. With that being said if the Coyotes don’t stay healthy all bets are off.

If they need to call up a goaltender who is first to get sent down? It really is going to rely on depth for these young guys.

Jakob Chychrun’s spot will come down to his chemistry playing with the Arizona Coyotes veteran defensemen. Which pairing are we likely to see Chychrun with? This is why I would say he is most likely to be reassigned.

Defensive mental lapses can cost you more so than an offensive turnover. This will be magnified on the rookie for every move he makes or fails to make.

Jonathan King:

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Of the three, Dylan Strome has the best chance to remain on the team for the season. If he can contribute on a nightly basis and demonstrate he’s up to the task, he’ll likely remain on the roster.

Jakob Chychrun has shown he’s both physically and mentally ready for the NHL, but it’s one thing to have a great training camp and quite another to withstand the rigors of NHL action night after night. As much as I’d love to see Chychrun play full-time and fans would too, if the club stays relatively injury-free he may not see the entire season.

Look for him to return to juniors sometime before his 10th game to preserve a year on his entry-level contract if he falters early, or prior to his 40th game to retain an extra year before he’s eligible for free agency.

Jason Harrison:

Jakob Chychrun is the prospect I’d put money on remaining in Arizona for the entire season. The coaching staff seems to love him. His work ethic and poise are off the charts. He already has the body to take the punishment. He looks set to follow in the footsteps of Aaron Ekblad, Seth Jones, and Noah Hanifin.

The other two candidates are a bit harder to forecast.

I believe the Coyotes will give Dylan Strome every opportunity to remain with this squad. He’s on the cover of the newspaper. His face is in a lot of promotional material. He’s the future, and both sides want him to be ready now. It depends a lot on his play, however.

Lawson Crouse is a mystery to me. He’s got the body and the buy-in, team first approach the coaching staff wants, but he’s a man without a home in the lineup. Who would he displace to play full-time? I don’t have an answer for that so it’s hard to see him staying around unless other moves are made.

Oct 5, 2016; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames goalie Brian Elliott (1) makes a save as Arizona Coyotes center Christian Dvorak (18) tries to score during the second period during a preseason hockey game at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

Which of the rookies will have the biggest impact on the Coyotes this season?

Caitlyn Pence:

Jakub Chychrun on defense, definitely.

The Coyotes really pushed to strengthen defense this offseason and that’s exactly what we did with new additions and now the addition of Chychrun.

Alex Temes:

Christian Dvorak plays a 200-foot game, can be slotted in on any given special teams situation and play on pretty much any line.

That kind of play can change the outcome of games, and his play could make Arizona competitive down the stretch. I certainly would not be surprised if Dvorak is in the conversation for a Calder Trophy should he capitalize on those skills. While don’t think he’ll win (cc: Auston Matthews), I’m optimistic the NHL will take notice of his play.

Drew Walters:

I have to say Dylan Strome.

His raw offensive talent is something the Coyotes have lacked for a long time, and I think he could have a very strong season.

His play, in my opinion, will play a large role in the Coyotes’ playoff chances.

This may be a bit bold, but I think he could break Peter Mueller’s rookie record for points (54). His cerebral approach to the game reminds me of Joe Thornton.

He’s not the quickest, but he can create opportunities for himself and his teammates by knowing where to be and where the puck is going.

Sep 22, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Kings center Trevor Lewis (22) chases Arizona Coyotes left wing Max Domi (16) in the first period at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Oliver Ekman-Larsson led the Coyotes in points in 2015-16. Who has the best shot to usurp his crown as top scorer? Who will lead the team in goals?

Vincent Benedict:

Oliver Ekman-Larsson had 55 points last season and Max Domi accounted for 52. Domi was only 3 back of OEL, however he played in 81 games compared to OEL’s 75.

I think the race will be close but expect Domi to take that next step in becoming the next Coyotes star.

Domi and Anthony Duclair continue to build on their chemistry and this should account for improved seasons for both players.

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Caitlyn Pence:

I think it’s going to be Max Domi.

He had a great season last year, and with the help from Anthony Duclair and possibly Radim Vrbata his stats are going to go up. He got over his rookie season and now he knows what he’s up against, he is seasoned.

I think Domi is going to take the reigns.

Alex Temes:

If there is any Coyotes with the best chance of unseating OEL’s, I’d put my money on Anthony Duclair.

The trendy pick would be Max Domi, but I like Duclair’s tendency to shoot when there is a goal to be had and that could make him a top challenger to Ekman-Larsson’s scoring crown.

However, realistically, Ekman-Larsson drives Arizona’s power play and offense, and I just don’t see anyone coming close to Ekman-Larsson’s numbers if he has a good year.

Nov 10, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Kings center Trevor Lewis (22) defends Arizona Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (23) in the second period of the game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Will OEL emerge from the pack and compete for the Norris Trophy in 2016-17?

Jonathan King:

OEL is a top-five NHL blue-liner, but until this season he’s had to do a great deal of the job on his own. With Connor Murphy progressing, and Alex Goligoski joining the team, OEL finally has some help. This should allow him to get some much-needed attention if the team can break through.

If this new blue-line squad can keep the number of opposing goals down over last year and stay out of the penalty box, this could very well be OEL’s year to compete for the Norris.

Drew Walters:

He should. If you look at OEL’s offensive numbers, he is right there with some of the best in the league.

Offense isn’t everything, but his underlying defensive numbers stack up too.

Look at his shot suppression and possession compared to last year’s Norris winner Drew Doughty.

The only difference I see between them is plus/minus, which is really a team stat more than an individual stat. The Arizona Coyotes finished 27th in goals against last season while the Kings finished 3rd, so of course OEL was on the ice for more goals than Doughty.

As dumb as I think it is, I believe the voters for this award simply don’t notice players with a bad plus/minus.

If the Coyotes can improve their team play and place in the standings, I think OEL could have a real shot at Norris.

Vincent Benedict:

As good as Ekman-Larsson is I don’t expect him to be in contention for the Norris Trophy this year.

With the addition of Goligoski and growth of others, the Coyotes will be better on defense, but that tends to marginalize the individual performance. When you add in guys like Duclair stepping up, I expect OEL’s production to go down, but for the betterment of the team.

It is an odd conundrum OEL is in. On one hand him scoring goals helps the team greatly, but on the other he plays defense and and the Coyotes struggled mightily last season. I expect OEL to be just as good but I don’t believe it will show up on the stat sheet.

Nov 27, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Coyotes goalie Mike Smith (41) defends during the first period against the Calgary Flames at Gila River Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

How do you see the work load being distributed between Louis Domingue and Mike Smith? Will this be a return to glory for Smith, or can Domingue overtake him in his first full NHL season?

Alex Temes:

In my eyes, the workload will be dictated by how Mike Smith does coming out of the gates.

If Smith can lead the Coyotes to more wins than losses over his first two-dozen games or so without having his save percentage drop below .920, he’ll shoulder around 80-85% of the workload. But if Smith reverts back to his 2013 self, Louis Domingue will push Smith for every single start and the ice time could even come down to a 50/50 split.

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As a fan, my patience with Mike Smith has begun to run thin and this season will show whether the coaching staff feels the same way.

Jonathan King:

Mike Smith is the starting goaltender, however unless he stands on his head, Dave Tippett is likely to go with the hot netminder. Look for Domingue to get more starts than the typical backup, and if he’s hot he will stay in there.

Competition is the name of the game for the Coyotes this year, and goaltending competition is part of it. Smith has played his best when he feels Domingue nipping at his heels, and Domingue has played his finest hockey when he has something to prove.

I think Smith will be challenged for the starting job this season, and Louuu could earn some of Smith’s starts if he can show last January was not a fluke.

Jason Harrison:

The fate of the 2016-17 Arizona Coyotes hangs on these two gentlemen.

If the team gets consistent, slightly above league average goaltending from the pair, they have a chance to compete for a wild card this season. A lot of that depends on Smith’s ability to be consistent, which is something that has plagued him the past four seasons. If he can’t, Domingue has shown he can be a viable starter over a short period of time. Perhaps he can take the leap and put together a full season at that level this year, or perhaps what we saw in the month of January last year was the real fluke.

I see Smith getting the benefit of the doubt and the lion’s share of the starts unless he completely breaks down. There’s too much capital invested in him for a quick hook.

November 9, 2015; Anaheim, CA, USA; Arizona Coyotes left wing Anthony Duclair (10) controls the puck against Anaheim Ducks during the first period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Where will the Coyotes finish in the Pacific Division? Did they improve enough to make a real run at the playoffs?

Jonathan King:

How the Coyotes finish the season will be up to the rookies showing up and no sophomore slump for Max Domi and Anthony Duclair. And of course, goaltending.

This team is designed much like Team North America, with youth, speed, and skill. Just like that team barely missed advancing in the World Cup, the margin of error in the Pacific Division for the Coyotes is also razor thin. Making the playoffs means beating some powerhouse teams, and that comes down to unbelievable goaltending, staying healthy, and some lucky bounces.

With all of that, if the team can play as good on the road as it knows it can do at home, the playoffs can happen.

Caitlyn Pence:

I definitely predict the Coyotes making playoffs this season.

We have stronger lines, not as many “holes” as the past seasons. We have star quality players and a good coaching staff and GM to make the decisions necessary.