The Coyotes returned from the Olympic break they sat five points back of 7th, four points back of 3rd and tied for 8th. There was reason to be optimistic that if the they played well, they could make the playoffs.
Then, in less than a week, this happened: They lost a game in overtime to the Jets, and then lost 4-2 to the Avalanche last night. Meanwhile, every team in competition with them has either won or lost in OT in every single game since the Olympic break.
Wednesday
Los Angeles Wins Vancouver Wins
Thursday
Winnipeg wins Dallas Wins Nashville Wins Minnesota Wins Los Angeles Wins
Friday
Minnesota wins Vancouver OT loss
The fact that some games are worth three points and others two has the tendency to make it easy to lose ground when you aren't winning, and hard to make it up when you are. The Coyotes get a pass for the Winnipeg game. They could have won in overtime and if anyone is to blame for those kind of games (11 OT loses and counting) it's management for doing nothing. Literally nothing. You could replace Don Maloney with my cat Pete and there would be the same amount of action. He hasn't made a personal move of significance in nearly a year.
Then last night, the Coyotes lose 4-2 to the Avalanche. The team that can't score played Antoine Vermette as their first line centre and then benched Mike Ribeiro for the third period. I don't care about recent hot streaks - Ribeiro is the superior offensive option. The best way to score goals is not to sit your best offensive player just because he took a ten minute misconduct.
Bottom line is that the Coyotes lost again, again couldn't get a third goal, and to top it off, they now sit seven points out of 3rd, and eight points out of 7th. Two games in two nights and their playoff options have shrunk from 3 possible positions to 1.
This brings us to the Buffalo Sabres. You have to love what the Sabres have done. Realizing they had no chance to win this year, they have dismantled their team and stocked up on draft picks.
Their own draft pick is likely to be the first overall selection. The Islanders owe them a draft pick in one of the next two drafts and might want to let it be this year's, even if it turns out to be a lottery pick because they probably don't want to risk giving up the first overall pick next year, which is Connor McDavid, a prospect being hyped to Sidney Crosby proportions.
Plus, now they have the St. Louis first rounder. This was a genius move because it is for 2015. The Blues are for sure going to have a low pick this year, but there is always a chance that they stumble next year and end up giving Buffalo another high pick. Add in the fact that they get another first this year if Miller resigns or the Blues make the Conference Finals and also have the option to further flip Halek and Stewert and this is an absolute coup for the Sabres.
Now, as for the Blues, I think it's a horrible trade. They already had good goaltending and I don't know that Halak is any worse than Miller. It is my belief goalies are only as good as their team. St. Louis is a pretty good team, but I don't think Miller makes them any better.
It's impossible to tell if this will work or not because whether it does or doesn't there will be no way of knowing if Halak couldn't have done the same thing.
Miller has played on a bad Buffalo team for the last few years while Halak has been the starting goalie of one of the best teams, and thus their stats are not worth comparing.
Teams coached by Ken Hitchcock always have good goalies and this is no coincidence. Halak, Elliot, Mason - they have racked up the stats and the wins. In the last four years, Halak and Elliot have combined for a ridiculous 35 shutouts. Ryan Miller has 28 in his career. There is plenty of Ken Hitchcock centred evidence that suggest that system and team have more to do with team success than who the goalie is.
Now, I get why the Blues would want to look like they are trying to compete for the Cup, but I think they just wasted some assets that would have been better used to upgrade on something they might have needed. They did not need a goalie and I don't know why they got one.
Once again, Buffalo wins and this is a model that I wish Phoenix would follow because a top ten pick is really the only way to acquire high-end talent. The Coyotes know this, having drafted both OEL and Mikael Boedker in the top-ten recently.
As it currently sits, the Coyotes are in no-man's land. They aren't bad enough to get a high pick and they are not going to make the playoffs unless they do something drastic.
If they lose on Sunday, it's time to go Full Buffalo and sell off anything (besides Hanzal and Smith) that wasn't drafted since 2008 (OEL, Boedker, Gormely, Murphy, Samuelson and Domi). In fact, a look at that list suggests that this organization is really good at evaluating young talent and drafts really, really well. Since this is obviously an organizational strength, why not emphasize it and make the best of a bad situation?
It's nearly time to become sellers.
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From Eklund:
"On Jake Gardiner...
He has been quiet on the Rumor Mill until today, but today I am hearing the Coyotes, who I thought were pretty stacked on the blue line, have interest...makes me wonder if something else is at play in Phoenix."
The Coyotes are stacked on the Blue line, but if they are interested in Gardiner, it must mean they are contemplating a Yandle Trade. The Leafs are well stocked on offensive Dman, but Phaneuf has to be everything to them and thus his offense suffers (while the rest of his game flourishes) and it makes sense that they would want a top pairing partner for him.
Toronto and Phoenix make interesting potential trade partners. Gardiner would fit in Nicely on Phoenix with their collection of young, high-ceiling defenseman, and Toronto is probably a number one pairing defenseman away from contending.
If the Leafs where to acquire Yandle, Phoenix would have to take back some salary, but I just don't know if Toronto has any of the high-end forwards Phoenix should be looking for in a trade for Yandle. Kadri for sure, but I can't see Toronto trading both him and Gardiner.
Something like : Gardiner, Kulemin, Reimer and a first rounder for Yandle, Greiss and Klikhammer makes sense to me because it evens out salary and Phoenix would get a first rounder back. Still, I think if Phoenix trades Yandle, they need to get back a higher draft pick or a potentially elite forward.
Hard to say. Let me know what you think.
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