The Coyotes haven't just been a terrible team that sucks at hockey this year. They have been hard to watch. Coach Dave Tippett and the reliance on veterans and the short leash he gives his rookies have been an absolute failure. And while people who apparently possess no critical thinking abilities are quick to point out that the Coyotes hired a 27 year old analytics focused GM has been a failure, it is, ironically, the career coach and key member of the Hockey World Dave Tippett who is the author of the Coyote's failure so far this season.
Even if the Coyotes were still bad, running out a lineup that featured Dylan Strome, Anthony Duclair, Max Domi, Christian Dvorak, Laurent Dauphin, Lawson Crouse, Anthony DeAngelo and Jakob Chychrun would at least make them watchable.
They aren't. (Doing that, or being watchable). The other night, they started the game with two straight power-plays, only to end up 16 minutes into the first period being out-shot 16-3. I shut it off.
Enough is enough.
They ended up losing that game and posting another 40% CF game.
One of the problems with Dave Tippet is how he deploys his players.
Domi is their best forward. It's not even close and I don't think anyone would debate that. But who is Domi's most common linemate? It's Radem Vrbata. Vrbata is a decent player, but he is probably the worst player in the NHL who consistently plays on the first line. Despite leading the team in PP time among F, he has one PP goal.
He is 35 years old. So what purpose does it serve to have him get so much ice-time? This season is over, as far as playoff hopes go, so if the rest of the season is essentially an exhibition schedule, why is a 35 year-old taking ice-time that could go to rookies?
Same goes with Shane Doan. He's 40, he get's the second most 5v5 ice-time on the team, among forwards. What in the hell is the purpose of such a deployment? It shows that there is no plan for development. It shows that the coach is putting the present ahead of the future. The teams record shows that that is pointless and the stats show it's not even a good strategy if winning today was the goal in the first place.
The rumours are that Doan is wanted by other teams around the league. Make it happen.
Domi's linemate last season was the currently maligned Anthony Duclair. Despite having one goal and four points in 22 games this season, it needs to be pointed out that he lost his first line role the minute they signed Vrbata. In the first week of the season, he was demoted and given just 11 or 12 minutes per night. His most common linemates have been Dvorak and McGinn.
This, despite his success last season and despite the fact that he and Domi have combined for to put up an almost 53% CF rating. A good coach would exploit this, considering no one on the entire team is over 50%, and are the worst possession team in the NHL.
What, exactly, did the Coyotes have to gain by taking a successful combo and breaking it for the sake of giving ice-time to a 35 year-old rookie?
That's not even the worst place Tippett consistently screws up.
The Coyotes have eight defenseman on their roster: Ekman-Larsson, Goligoski, Murphy, Stone, Schenn, Connauton, DeAngleo and Chychrun.
For reasons that cannot be fathomed, Chychrun has been a healthy scratch in five of the last seven games.
Goligoski has 9 assists (all situations) and zero goals. For some reason though, Anthony DeAngleo was scratched vs the Kings on Thursday. Despite playing in less than half the team's games (10) he has six points, which, if you prorate to the team's 22 games, makes him the leader among defenseman. He's third overall anyways. He has positive Corsi relative to his team.
By any measure, DeAngleo has been a great addition to the team - so why was he sat?
Since no Coyotes' defenseman is at or over 50% CF, let's take a look at the relative-Corsi stats:
Relative to their team, the best possession defenseman they've had so far is Luke Schenn, followed by Chychrun, Connauton (only played seven times) OEL, then DeAngleo, then Murphy. All are positive relative to their team.
Notice that the three best D on that list have all sat in the press-box at various times.
Goligoski, Stone and Murphy have been terrible. None of them have sat out, because - ostensibly - they are veterans.
Murphy, when paired with OEL, is over 50%. When he's not, he's 43%. Goligoski and Stone are almost unbelievably bad. Not a goal between them, both of their possession stats are BRUTAL and, even relative to their team, still BRUTAL.
Stone's CF% is an enforcer-level 39%.
The best six defenseman the Coyotes could dress are as follows:
OEL - DeAngleo Chychrun - Schenn Connauton - Murphy (though he should be replaced as soon as possible.
In effect, the Coyotes are saddled with three defenseman who are seen as part of their 'core' that are terrible, and which prevent them from playing better players. Goligoski, Stone and Murphy are one of the main reasons the Coyotes are the worst team in the NHL. The main reason is Tippett himself.
That their coach doesn't seem to recognize this means that they will likely continue to be the worst team in the NHL for the foreseeable future.
That their coach is their GM's boss, makes it a situation that is unlikely to get fixed.
Tonight they face the Blue Jackets.
Stats 5v5 unless noted; from Corsica.hockey and Stats.hockey.Analysis.com and hockeydb.com