So this year's team should be worse then last year's team?

From what I have been reading of all the gloom and doom posts I would have to say that at least 80% of the posters on this board feel that the 2003-2004 Coyotes will struggle to get barely over last year's 78 point team. Am I right?

Last year's team:
1) had a franchise record and a top 10 all time NHL man games missed total of 462 (not including Simpsons 13 suspensions games).
2) were so decimated by injuries they had to use talentless bums who trip over bluelines and cause glaos (Hordichuk -- 33 games) and older players who they could get for free (Ranheim -- 40 games) and all sorts of other players who should have never been in the NHL last year.
3) had their team MVP, off ice and on ice leader miss 60 games (Burke).
4) were so undisciplined they often put their team in the hole with the amount of time their poor PK unit had to play.
5) had to go with one center so often he took the most drops in all the NHL even though his winning percentage was below 50% (Langkow) and had to move Doan to center to fill the void of a decent centerman.

And this year's roster, according to most of the posts and posters I have been reading do not believe this team can get 12 more points and challenge for a playoff position with 90 points from this roster if it remains healthy, gives better effort, has their MVP, on ice and off ice leader back between the pipes for 55 games and plays a more disciplined brand of hockey?

Either you guys think the Coyotes played better than their roster and circumstance of last year or this year's roster sucks ... I just dont understand your guys thinking.

I think this team can get at least 12 more points (depending on the trades -- Sean Burke) and earn a playoff spot.

I'd put us in that 65-75 point range. I like our forwards, love our goaltending, but this game is all about defense and the words too much too soon come to mind quickly when I think of this group. There just isn't enough of a buffer of experience to get us through the first half of the season without sacrificing a lot of points. I think this group will develop tremendously be seasons end but they will be unable to make up the ground we are going to lose before Xmas. I don't think we're a last place team but we're closer to that extreme than we are the other.

I'd put us in that 65-75 point range. I like our forwards, love our goaltending, but this game is all about defense and the words too much too soon come to mind quickly when I think of this group. There just isn't enough of a buffer of experience to get us through the first half of the season without sacrificing a lot of points. I think this group will develop tremendously be seasons end but they will be unable to make up the ground we are going to lose before Xmas. I don't think we're a last place team but we're closer to that extreme than we are the other.
I actually have become more concerned about our team offense over the past 3 preseason game -- all at AWA. I think our defense did OK in those games with Burke stablising them and the offense went to the crapper.

But basically you are saying Burke with Tanabe, Hulse and better forwards is worse than Boucher/Bierk with Numminen, Markov and Simpson.

OK. I understand that -- I disagree with it, but I understand that.

I actually have become more concerned about our team offense over the past 3 preseason game -- all at AWA. I think our defense did OK in those games with Burke stablising them and the offense went to the crapper.

But basically you are saying Burke with Tanabe, Hulse and better forwards is worse than Boucher/Bierk with Numminen, Markov and Simpson.

OK. I understand that -- I disagree with it, but I understand that.

1 - Even though I have posted my fair share of concerns and what some would lable negative posts, I have always maintained the Yotes have the potential to have another .500 type 1st round season. That's just not good enough in my books, hence, the suggestions and second guessing. Now I have to admit I'm wavering on my belief that this team will improve on last years record based on lack of scoring in pre-season.

2 - TSN's NHL preview show last night were the 3rd or 4th so called expert media types to predict the Yotes as 15th place finishers in the west. (LAST) blaming a lack of scoring, NO defense, and the immenent trading of Burke.

3 - I'm tired of excuses, injuries (all teams have to deal with them) If the Yotes had their own farm team last year and had been developing prospects properly over the last 2-3 years it wouldn't have been an issue. It may have provided opportunity and suprises.

4 - Penalty Killing is all coaching and players buying into their role within a system. How has that changed? We will be weaker on D but may win a few more faceoffs and Sillinger may improve our pk up front.

5 - Goal scoring starts with great team defense and with having mobile, intelligent, skilled and composed blueliners that understand transition, that can thread the needle with a pass and not just wrap the puck around the boards the entire game. Our forwards know that and as a result are usually standing still near the boards instead of skating into open ice expecting passes on the breakout or transition. Our pre-season may be proof of that. We will be spending a lot of time in our own zone if things don't improve at the backend.

1. Not all teams have to deal with 462 games missed because of injuries. That is one of the top 10 highest amounts missed ever in the NHL.

2. Why are you complaining about the lack of a farm system? How quickly would you like to have had this regime assemble a famr team? It takes time. The Coyotes didn't even own their own farm team! They shared it with TB.

3. PK is all coaching? What happened with excusion? If that is true PP is all coaching too. So it is their coached PP against our coached PK.

It's all coaching at lower levels, not at NHL level. At NHL level, it is about the players, not the coaches.

4. How many so called expert predictions called for the Coyotes to finish in the same position 2 seasons ago?

I reread THNs Coyotes prediction last night. Obviously, they are thinking the Coyotes will use Gratton in a more important role than the Coyotes. They even go as far as to say so, When you're banking on an underachiever like Chris Gratton, you've got problems. Are the Coyotes counting on Gratton to play above the 3rd line, winning face-offs and scoring 12-15? Is that too much to ask of Gratton???

Basically, predictions mean squat if you don't know how the coach will use the players and in what roles they will be used.

5. Never said this roster of players was going to win their division or conference. Just thatbit is better then last year's roster. Not the one on paper, but the one that played on ice since the one on paper missed 462 games plus 13 more due to suspensions.

As many have said this season there simply are too many big if's. CT gives five big if's in his first post in this thread. And there are even more than that. This team could melt down completely before Christmas or challenge for the playoffs. I'm going with 89 points. I think there is bound to be some good news along the way. Many of our young players are ready to have break out seasons. We'll be 12th to 14th or so again. :rolly:

I actually have become more concerned about our team offense over the past 3 preseason game -- all at AWA. I think our defense did OK in those games with Burke stablising them and the offense went to the crapper.

But basically you are saying Burke with Tanabe, Hulse and better forwards is worse than Boucher/Bierk with Numminen, Markov and Simpson.

OK. I understand that -- I disagree with it, but I understand that.

Let's face it Burke is capable of taking this team to the playoffs by himself. He's done it before. However, I'm not sure it is fair to place those types of expectations on his shoulders.

Numminen, Simpson, Markov were three pretty reliable guys in their own zone who could make good decisions with the puck (ok I'm stretching things by including Simpson) and clear rebounds in the defensive zone. I don't think our current group will be as strong and thus we should see more second, third, and fourth opportunities then we have in the past.

Numminen, Simpson, Markov were three pretty reliable guys in their own zone who could make good decisions with the puck (ok I'm stretching things by including Simpson) and clear rebounds in the defensive zone. I don't think our current group will be as strong and thus we should see more second, third, and fourth opportunities then we have in the past.
I agree that the defense has to clear the puck away and the forwards have to back check if the opposition is not going to be sitting on our doorstep banging away at the puck. Our goalies will have to smoother the puck instead giving up the rebound ... but it can be done.