Follow @james_tanner123 The Coyotes have finalized their opening night roster. The final cuts were made and the team is ready to roll tomorrow night against the Ducks.
There was some last minute apprehension on if the Coyotes would cut or keep Dylan Strome, but he is on the team.
Our Opening Night roster is set. pic.twitter.com/tOgIF1wN1X
— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) October 3, 2017
If the above line holds true, the Coyotes other two lines are probably Domi-Stepan-Keller, and Duclair-Dvorak-Rieder . However, Christian Fischer made the team too, so he could perhaps unseat someone like Rieder. This looks like a decent top nine, although Tobias Rieder is probably someone they could look to upgrade on. For now I'd expect Fischer to play on the fourth line and be one of the NHL's best fourth line players.
The Coyotes other fourth line options such are Cousins, Richardson, Crouse and, for the love of god, Zac Rinaldo. I dunno, we'll see how this plays out it could be that Richardson is a good player when Dave Tippett isn't playing him too high in the lineup and perhaps Lawson Crouse can become something other than a fourth liner. But then again, perhaps a Crouse, Richardson , Fischer fourth line is one of the NHL's best.
If Raanta can be as good as hoped, this is a team with depth all the way to the fourth line and the bottom pairing. A team with assets and 17 million or so in cap space if they want to improve. This is a playoff team, and it's going to be probably the best year the franchise has ever had. OEL, Keller, and Strome give the team three franchise players, the depth is as good as anyone in the league and not only that, but they'll be fast and fun to watch.
As long as Max Domi can keep from drowning himself in Axe Body Spray, the team is going to be just fine.
It all gets started tomorrow against the insanely overrated Ducks team.