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Looking for a Second Line Left Winger

July 16, 2013, 8:33 AM ET [34 Comments]
Adam French
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There is one hole in the lineup in my mind that really stands out on the Coyotes roster. It’s the second line Left Wing position. Mikkel Boedker is the top Left Winger on this team, but then the possible options get a bit stickier.


As it stands this is the left wing depth on the team.


On Roster


Mikkel Boedker – He’s the top-line LW just like he was last season. No ifs ands or buts…well unless he won’t re-sign with them and gets traded or some insanity.


Lauri Korpikoski – Korpi is a great third liner. He can play in the top-6, but it’s not ideal for a team trying to make the playoffs which is the ultimate goal for the team. The Coyotes will never be an offensive juggernaut and Korpikoski’s defensive abilities are something that goes well in a top-6, but I’d rather him on a third line playing in a shutdown role with Vermette and Moss. If they go into the season with him as the second line LW, it won’t be a disaster, just not ideal in my opinion.


Rob Klinkhammer – Klinkhammer was a pleasant surprise last season after being called up from the AHL. He had bounced around from team to team. He plays both wings and if he can duplicate his 22 game performance from last season over a full year, I will be happy that he is on the team. He hits everything in sight and has shown that he gives his all every shift. Now I would MUCH prefer the man with the sweetest name other than Clitsome to play the fourth line Right Wing spot so that Chris Brown can get another year of pro under his hat and not need to languish with low minutes. If he’s the 3rd line Left Winger…so be it, but I’d much prefer him on the fourth line.


Paul Bissonnette – Bissonnette shouldn’t be a fulltime player, sorry BizNasty. He’s a fine fighter and a loveable madman, but he’s just not that talented. He’ll likely be on the roster though as much as it pains me. I’m not a fan of fighters that can only fight, and only fight fighters; it seems like a self-fulfilling prophecy that doesn’t serve a purpose other than to exist. Remember Shane Doan fighting Dustin Brown? I do, that’s the kind of fight the NHL needs more of, not Bissonnette vs Orr.


Prospects


Lucas Lessio – Lessio looked decent in his 5 game taste of pro hockey to end the season, he added a little bit of offense and showed some of that power game he plays. He had a very strong small sample in the playoffs. The thing is, Lessio is only 20, and he has some major consistency issues that he still has to work on before warranting a spot on the roster. He needs at least one full year of pro, if not two or three before he’s going to make the team. I don’t think it does anything to help his development by thrusting him into a 5-8 minute a night fourth line extravaganza.


Andy Miele – Miele was signed as an NCAA free agent after winning the Hobey Baker Award as the top collegiate player in 2010 as a 23 year old. Miele is technically a centre first, and has been for the vast majority of his career. The problem is that he is only 5’8 and almost all players of that diminutive size are shifted to the wing if they make the NHL. He has spent the past two seasons playing in Portland getting used to the pro game, and he has done fairly well. He was named to the AHL All-Star Team last season and for two straight seasons he has led the Pirates in points. At 25 he is getting on the older side for making the NHL, and you have to believe that at some point he will demand his chance in the NHL after being one of the most highly sought after NCAA free agents, seeing all the others spoon fed time is probably eating him up inside. He’s a gifted offensive player and does fit more into a top-6 role than Korpikoski, is this his year? It might very well be, a big camp showing from him will be extremely important to his future with the organization and with the four centre slots already set, Miele will make it as a winger or not at all.



Now those are just the hypothetical's that can be found within the system (excluding somebody I will mention later), there are still several Free Agents that could fill that 2nd line LW position very well and perhaps at a reasonable rate.


Vinny Prospal – In my ideal scenario Prospal is the player Maloney gets. He’s a savvy veteran that would fit extremely well beside Hanzal and Vrbata…hell that’s an all Czech line. The 38 year old is not the PPG player he used to be, but is still a top-6 forward in the NHL. He led the Columbus Blue Jackets in points with 30 and was second in goals with 12 in the shortened year, and before that in 2009 and 2010 he had very good seasons with the Rangers. Last season he only made 2.5 million on a one year deal, which I have to say was serious bang for the buck. If you can get Prospal on a 1-2 year deal at 2.5-3.5 mil I think that’s a deal you go for. He’s a better fit in the top-6 over Korpikoski, and with him there Korpikoski can focus more on being a shutdown player and anchoring the penalty kill.


Dustin Penner – Penner and his relationship with the NHL reminds me of an abusive relationship. The NHL continues to say “he can change,” they can fix him, and so on, yet Dustin never does. Penner could be a perfect fit…could…probably not. Tippett has turned around several players careers and seems to manage to get the most from his players, but that’s often what Sutter is praised for as well and that didn’t exactly go well. Penner is considered a “beast” once the playoffs hit, well that’s just fine and dandy for a contender that can allow him to loaf about for 82 games expecting nothing, yet the Coyotes would need him to be a factor to actually make the playoffs. His numbers keep dwindling as is the patience from around the league over his enigmatic play. Penner is a good fit for a contender, where he can loaf on the 3rd line, get into the playoffs, drink a Red Bull and then decide to play. So unless he came on a cheapo one year deal, I hope he has nothing to do with this team.


Max Domi – I didn’t mention him in the prospect section because he’s still extremely young and it’s very rare that players out of the top-7 picks make their NHL teams immediately after they’ve been drafted….this goes double with guys who are 5’9. Maloney however hinted that Domi would get an extended look mentioning a place for him in the top-6, aka that 2nd line LW position. While he’s a natural centre, Domi has been known to play on the LW when Hunter is mixing his lines, most notably playing beside Bo Horvat. Domi led the Knights in goals, assists and points through the regular season, before leading them in playoff scoring. His line was preyed upon during the Memorial Cup which was pretty disheartening, but that wasn’t just Domi being overwhelmed defensively, but the whole line with Griffiths and Broadhurst. Domi plays a game with pest qualities and you wonder if he’s ready to translate that style to the next level so early. Offensively he might be ready for the NHL, if not a little too fancy, defensively…maybe not under Tippett. He’s got an NHL frame which is one of the more interesting things about him and something Maloney talked about when discussing if he could make the jump immediately…Domi is already 198lbs at 5’9 which is really “thick.” I personally would not mind him taking another year with London and yet again competing for the Memorial Cup, playing as the top-line centre and really developing on a team that consistently produces All-Stars.



I would much rather see this


Boedker – Ribeiro – Doan

Prospal – Hanzal – Vrbata

Korpikoski – Vermette – Moss

Bissonnette (ick) – Chipchura – Klinkhammer


Than


Boedker – Ribeiro – Doan

Korpikoski – Hanzal – Vrbata

Klinkhammer – Vermette – Moss

Bissonnette – Chipchura – Chris Brown



Thanks for reading.
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