Arizona Coyotes: Perlini, Dvorak Providing Signs of Hope
In a season of disappointment, Brendan Perlini and Christian Dvorak are among the names providing hope for the Arizona Coyotes.
There are a few rays of hope shining for the Arizona Coyotes.
It’s not unquestioned, unbridled optimism like the team experienced last season with Max Domi and Anthony Duclair.
Perhaps the names aren’t as hyped as World Juniors participants Dylan Strome and Clayton Keller.
There is hope nonetheless, however, and it comes in the form of two 20-year-olds.
As the wagon rattles and the wheels continue to wobble off of the Coyotes’ 2016-17 season, these two names are among the few operating on the Arizona roster who are getting fans’ hearts beating fast.
Brendan Perlini
He was a bust, or so the story went.
After a disappointing junior career, Brendan Perlini shot the lights out in Tucson with the Roadrunners and hasn’t really looked back since.
The winger put up 11 goals and 16 points in 16 games, good enough to earn himself a call up to the big time.
He has not exactly lit the world on fire in Glendale, but the speed and smoothness with which he skates and plays excites fans in a way that few other prospects have.
Perlini is a big kid and he’s blazing fast. He has a knack for finding opportunities, and though he has just three in goals in 12 games, every shift he takes his potential is laid bare for all to see.
If he puts it all together he could be a huge piece for the Arizona Coyotes moving forward.
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In the meantime, he’s providing nightly thrills on a team that doesn’t have much to be thrilled about.
Christian Dvorak
Christian Dvorak is so far under the radar that I question whether or not he actually produces a signal.
Overlooked in juniors at London, Dvo led the Knights to a Memorial Cup in his final season.
As part of a forgettable Arizona roster, some fans consider him to be invisible as well.
There’s certainly no flash to his game compared to Perlini. He’s not making the highlight reel or wowing you with sheer athleticism.
What is clear, however, is that Dvorak’s game has developed steadily since his first game in the NHL.
He’s produced 4 goals and 8 assists and is a plus-5 on the season while playing limited minutes and often on the fourth line.
Part of the reason he’s on this team and Dylan Strome is not is his defensive ability, which Dave Tippett has made certain he’s put to good use due to some of his most frequent linemates.
Dvo’s game, by nature, will be that of a late bloomer due to how responsibly he plays.
He acknowledged this in a recent interview with AZCentral’s Sarah McLellan. “I always wanted to make sure I was defensively reliable no matter where in the lineup I was,” he said.
He’s coming on well already in his first year, but the real dividends will probably show in year three for the 20-year-old.
If Perlini and Dvorak develop into viable top six pieces, or even valuable third line options who can provide reliable depth scoring, the Arizona Coyotes will be in a prime position moving forward.
Should the likes of Keller, Strome, and Jakob Chychrun also top out somewhere near their potential, the Yotes 2.0 should be coming online just in time for the opening of the new arena in Tempe.
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