Most people know that the Phoenix Coyotes have one of the deepest defenses in the NHL, both on the ice and in the farm waiting. The Coyotes brass has also not been shy in letting those players develop for longer periods until they can force the issue…something they should have considered with the forwards but I digress. Going into this year the defense looks even more solid with the return of Z. Michalek, but now things are looking a little clogged up. Could we see a potential trade go down? To start here is the depth.
Zbynek Michalek (3 years 4mil) – Keith Yandle (4 years 5.25mil)
Oliver Ekman-Larsson (1 year 1.75mil) – Rostislav Klesla (2 years 2.975mil)
David Schlemko (1 year 550,000) – Derek Morris (2 years 2.75mil)
Now I left off a guy who will make the squad no problem and who did admirably as a rookie in the playoffs, but that’s because he could be sent to the AHL while these guys are more or less a lock as NHL contracts.
Players Looking for a spot:
Michael Stone – Stone is now 22 and at the halfway point of last year he was looking ready for the big club having put on a solid display of two-way ability in the AHL. That prompted him to be called up for the stretch where he stuck playing a modest 10-15 minutes a game. He’s a mobile two-way defender who can run a power play and has a nasty shot. This year he’s ready and he’s been (When OEL was down) the best defenseman for Portland. He has 6 goals and 22 points already with 5 PPG’s (Top on team). The big thing about his play has been his turnaround of David Rundblad, Stone has been excellent with him on the PP and stabilizing the oft erratic Swede at 5vs5. He’s on the top PK unit and is all around doing great, he should be on the teams bottom pairing.
David Rundblad – Personally I’d give him another year but he’s also getting closer to being NHL ready. He’s playing smarter and looks more adjusted to the NA game. He still pulls some mindboggling moves, but you can forgive him those when he pulls a great rush. He’s been a prime PP player and leads the team in defensive scoring by one point on Stone with 6 goals and 23 points with 4 PPG’s. I’m very interested to see what his fate is considering OEL and Yandle are both ahead of him in the PP department.
Chris Summers – At 24 it’s getting harder and harder to call him a prospect, and yet this is just his third year as a pro. The former 29th overall pick in 2006 is ready to play in the NHL and got 21 games last year. Expect very little offense from him as he’s a mobile shutdown defenseman primarily. I have to imagine him signing a one year deal was to get some NHL time and prove he can play. If Stone gets the last slot on the team, Summers might become trade bait.
Maxim Goncharov – Goncharov somewhere along the way lost his idea of how to shoot the puck, despite his extremely hard shot. He’s morphed himself into more of a physical shutdown defender. I’m not sure he’s NHL ready or even if he’ll ever make the NHL. At 6’4 228 he’s built for the NHL and he’s certainly mean enough, the 23 year old would likely be a call-up on most teams.
Brandon Gormley – Still a year or two away from the limelight for certain. He’s played pretty well in his first year as a pro. He’s been sheltered and given secondary PP unit time. He has 3 goals and 10 points so far and hasn’t looked out of place. The important part here is that in those two years he’ll be looking for a fulltime job with the big club.
As you can see we have a bit of an issue. There are more ready bodies than spots. Morris is the one guy I’d let go at this point from the group of locks, Schlemko is basically a cheap body for the 7th spot. Morris still has some game left in him and played well in the playoffs. He’d be a guy I try to move if only to make a slot for Summers.
My ideal defensive lineup would be:
Michalek – Yandle
OEL – Klesla
Stone – Summers
Schlemko
So who do you trade? Do you make a big move by moving Rundblad for some skill at forward? Do you move Summers for something minor like a 2nd round or 3rd round pick? What would you guys do?
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