#7 Arizona Coyotes
On the ice…
The Coyotes finally made some bold moves this off-season and the acquisition of Derek Stepan I believe will keep this team in the playoff hunt right to the end. It is hard to put them in 7th, because I could fully see them as high as 4th..I believe this division is the hardest to predict because there are so many moving parts with windows closing and opening all over the place…The Coyotes defense is still the issue in my opinion. Up front, I am most excited to see the chemistry between Stepan and Keller…I keep hearing that they are fantastic together… In Goal, I really like Raanta, but I think that Domingue could become the story here…
Potential Surprises…. * Clayton Keller is a star in the making… * Louis Domingue will not be your normal backup. I really see him as becoming the starter by mid -season. * Tobias Rieder is getting better ad better. He is a sleeper in your fantasy pool…
In the rumor mill…
No real obvious rentals to sell…however there are two players in Anthony DuClair and Dylan Strome who will have to prove themselves to stick around. I keep hearing Gm John Chayka is tracking their progress and wants to move them while the value is still high…or keep them if they show they can play
May not finish the season as a Coyote.
Storm and/or Duclair…Raanta.
What they may look to add...
Experienced d-man. Wouldn't be shocked if they are already talking to Vegas...
Best Case Scenario: They are a playoff team finishing in 4th: 10% Worst Case: They can’t get it together and they finish 7th. :20% Most Likely: They land somewhere between 7th and 5th, but miss the playoffs.. 70%
Crazy Prediction… Louis Domingue is their All-Star Representative.
Coming up shortly, #6