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The current situation with the Arizona Coyotes reached a head on Tuesday when three propositions were voted down by the residents of Tempe, AZ for a multi-billion-dollar entertainment facility that included an NHL arena. The reaction by the league, current players on the Coyotes squad, and a large segment of the media covering the league believe this may be the last straw for the troubled franchise.
The no vote could mean the Coyotes remain in the small Mullett Arena for the upcoming season while the league and current ownership mull their options, or it could mean that the NHL moves swiftly and shifts the franchise to another city like Houston, Kansas City, Portland, or Salt Lake City as they did when the Atlanta Thrashers were transferred to Winnipeg in 2011.
The Toronto Maple Leafs and their fanbase have always kept an eye on the Coyotes franchise and held a little bit of concern, with Auston Matthews having ties to the franchise going back to his youth growing up just outside of Phoenix.
Even this week, in spite of Matthews saying he wants to sign a long-term extension to stay in Toronto, there is still lingering suspicion of the Hart Trophy winner’s “secret desire… to find his way back home. The problem with this scenario is that A) the team has to actually be in Arizona when Matthews is a free agent and B) the team has to be financially viable enough to sign him to a long-term, multi-million deal. Neither is which may be realistic.
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Further to the situation with the Leafs and GM Kyle Dubas, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman says that while things are on hole awaiting Dubas to make a decision, the MLSE board has to prepare a Plan B in case he decides to take a year off .
Friedman believes that the comments about the toll taken on his family took the organization by surprise, and that if Dubas decides to take a step back, the club has to be ready to move forward with another management option.
That being said, it is still expected that Dubas will return as Leafs GM and sign an extension, and begin to sort through the number of decisions that need to be made before the NHL Draft next month and free agency in early July.
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