Follow @james_tanner123

The Coyotes open the NHL regular season with a four game home-stand, beginning Thursday October 9th against the Jets. In the meantime, there are 18 days, 6 pre-season games and 39 cuts to be made to the 62 man training camp roster, in order to get down to the 23 the team needs to break camp.

So who is on the opening night roster?

Obviously, we will be wrong on any projections, because there are always surprises in training camp. A rookie like Domi who everyone assumes will make the team could struggle, or someone like Tyler Gaudet, who the Coyotes signed as an undrafted free agent, could do the opposite and force himself onto the team.

But with 62 players in camp, and 2/3s of them needing to be cut, it should be an interesting 2 and half weeks.


Goalies

Goalies are the easiest to project for the Coyotes. Barring injuries, Mike Smith is the starter, Devon Dubnyk is the back up, and Mark Visentin is the club's best prospect (at the goalie position).

As NHL teams usually do not carry three goalies, it is clear that Visentin and the other four goalies in camp will all eventually be cut. Of the 62 invites, 7 are goalies, meaning that there are 55 players competing for the other 21 roster spots.

Interesting note on the goalies: I don't know if it's coincidence or a team policy, but of the seven goalies at camp, the shortest one is 6'2.

Defense

The Coyotes will eventually break camp with 7 defenseman - assuming they follow NHL norms - and they have a total of 18 in camp right now. Defense is the team's strongest position, but there still should be a couple jobs here worth fighting over.

OEL, Yandle, Michalek, and Stone can be considered locks to make the team, which means that there are 14 other players fighting over 3 spots.

Those three spots have some heavy favorites: Connor Murphy (30 NHL games, age 21) and Brandon Gormley (5 NHL games, age 22) are both ready to be NHL regulars. The Coyotes have made a Red Wings-esque decision to bring their prized prospects along slowly, but now is the time. Both looked good in limited action last year and I would have to suspect - though it's not like I have anything more to go on than my observation skills and ability to read and listen - that both would have to have poor camps to be cut. However, there is a chance the Coyotes do not want to start the year with half their defenseman having played less than one full NHL season.

I would say it's likely that Murphy makes the team, and if Gormley doesn't, it's a numbers game and likely no reflection of his status as the team's top defensive prospect being revoked.

Also in the mix to start the season in the NHL are Dave Schlemko, a decent fringe, 7th defenseman type and Chris Summers, a former first rounder who's speed and hitting will make him effective in whatever role he plays.

The opening night lineup could look something like this:

OEL - Michalek
Yandle - Stone
Gormley - Murphy with one of Summers or Schlemko in the press box.

Whether or not that is what the lineup ultimately looks like, is up to whatever Tippett's threshold for inexperience in his lineup is, and whatever Maloney ends up doing trade-wise, since the Coyotes have 8 NHL defenseman and need forwards. Whether it's this year or next year or the year after, a lineup of Gormley, Stone, Murphy, Yandle and Ekman-Larsson stands a good chance to be among the best in the NHL for years to come.

As for the other tryouts, Jamie McBain (Buffalo) and Andrew Campbell (LA) played in the NHL last season. I can't see either making this team, barring injury, but it's nice to have guys who aren't completely raw as options when injuries inevitably force you to recall guys you cut in September to the NHL.

Essentially the Coyotes defensive roster at training camp is made up of 4 guys who for sure have jobs, 4 other guys fighting for 3 spots, and 10 players with virtually no chance of making the NHL right now. Those players still are fighting for jobs in Portland and so camp is important for them, but their odds of forcing the Coyotes to dress them ahead of Murphy or Gormley seem like extreme long shots.

There are 37 forwards at Coyotes' camp, but this is getting long, so we'll break them down tomorrow. Thanks for reading.

Join the Discussion: » 23 Comments » Post New Comment

» I am Just Curious If This Works

» NHL At Least Tries to do the Right Thing

» The NHL Cannot Remain Apolitical and Must Show Leadership

» Time for a New Coach to Go Along with the New G.M

» Coyotes Eliminated Following Severe Beating