Phoenix Coyotes Preview

Departures
Steven Reinprecht, Joakim Lindstrom, Ken Klee, Brandon Prust, Dmitri Kalinin, Enver Lisin, Nigel Dawes, Todd Fedoruk, David Hale

Arrivals
Taylor Pyatt, Lauri Korpikoski, Vernon Fiddler, Radim Vrbata, Adrian Aucoin, Jim Vandermeer, Jason LaBarbera

Forwards
With a very different look up front at the beginning of this season compared to last, there is a little more optimism on the offensive side.  Captain Shane Doan is back to lead the young Coyotes and will be flanked by Scottie Upshall and Matthew Lombardi.  Peter Mueller will be looking to bounce back after a tough sophmore season, and will be helped by veterans Radim Vrbata and Petr Prucha.  Mikkel Boedker is looking for a breakout sophmore campaign after posting 28 points in 78 games in his rookie season last year.  They will need all four lines to score if they want to improve on their 26^th place goals per game last year.

Defenseman
With the additions of veterans Adrian Aucoin, and Jim Vandermeer, the defensive side of the puck with also be improved for this season.  They will be led by veteran Ed Jovanovski, and youngster Zbynek Michalek who are both solid defensively and effective offensively.  Kurt Sauer and Keith Yandle round out the bottom six, with Sami Lepisto –brought over from the Washington Capitals – vying for one of their positions.

Goalies
The goaltending situation was shored up in the off-season with the addition of Jason LaBarbera to backup Ilya Bryzgalov.  Bryzgalov will be depended upon to carry the load again this season.  He will be pushed by LaBabera, who’s best season was in 2007-08 when he had 17 wins in 45 games.  2004 first round draft pick Al Montoya will also be in the mix to back up Bryzgalov.  Montoya played in five games to end the season last year, and went 3-1-1.

Strengths
- The leadership qualities of Doan are underrated throughout the league.  Last season he led the team in goals and points, and will be counted on again to lead this young Coyotes team into the fire.

- If Jovanovski can stay healthy, he will be a great teacher for the young Michalek, who needs another year or two of maturing before he can be a great defenceman

- Bryzgalov proved in Anaheim that he is a world class goaltender, and if he can prove that once again, the Coyotes might be able to move up in the standings.

Weaknesses
- Will the off ice issues affect the Coyotes play on the ice?  Maybe not….but it’s definitely a possibility.  Especially if the fans don’t show up.

- The biggest name on this team is Shane Doan, and he’s getting to the age where his production will start to decline.  The young players on this team will soon need to step up and fill the shoes of their aging captain.

Analysis
Many issues away from the rink are affecting the way this team is going to play this season.  Firstly, the sale of the team that still hasn’t been determined is a distraction.  And secondly, there are now rumours that Gretzky is out as coach after he was a no show at training camp.  With so many issues away from the ice, along with the abundance of young players at camp, the Coyotes will battle the Islanders for last place overall in the NHL.

Prediction: 14^th in the West