The 4th line only has a hole if the Coyotes don't bring in a top nine forward. If they do, Brule or Torres can fill that hole. If not, I'd prefer they fill it internally.
I suspect that Miele and Pouliot will both be on the roster. Miele on the wing to start out, perhaps second or third line and Pouliot on the 3rd or 4th line.
..and yes, I know that Miele is a center, but let's let him cut his teeth on the wing where there are less responsibilities defensively and in the face off dot.
Arnold, Brown and Werek are more suited for fourth line duty, and Shinnimin could fit as well. Lessio probably needs another year in the OHL anyway but regardless is more of a pure scorer. Of those five, I'd guess Arnold has the best chance, but I don't think this is the likely outcome. Odds are Maloney brings in another forward somewhere, which makes this whole conversation moot. Plus, Doan's return is contingent on the team still being in Arizona next year, and I don't think it's a lock Whitney comes back regardless (though I'm hoping he does).
If someone internally makes the team who would it be?
A new guy like shinniman or arnott or someone like brown, lessio, werek?
outside shot of our first round pick provided he's an offensive player. I'm thinking of a player who comes in like a Colberg or Aberg who come in and are lights out in the preseason.
One scenario. Someone who can play a heavy grinding game. I'd say Arnold or Brown are two guys that immediately come to mind.
Brett can't skate, he's not an NHL player. He is unfortunately a good AHLer, but that is all...it's too bad, great hands, bad wheels.
Again, I'm up for Lombardi returning, we know he fits and he knows he fits
Brown, Shinnimin and the group will spend at least 1 year down on the farm. Miele will need to take his game to the next level to make it, he'll need to be near the top in pts next season to get a look, unless he's going to switch to wing.
We need to bring in a center, no two ways about that for using our farm for help.
Miele is not near being ready for the nhl, until the coaching staff learns he will not be a nhl center he will get nowhere.
Maclean is even struggling being a AHL playing(at this point he was on but then he went way off), his future does not look promising at all.
Werek, has really improved his game greatly in the last 2 months, at the start of the season he was very weak in all areas of the game and had zero grit or heart. Now he seems to be putting together some offense, however he still looks weak without much grit , which is very odd from how he was in juniors.
Hextall, has been improving he really does make the other team hate him by his playing style and his attitude, i believe he will be a useful player in the future but not sure how soon, his skating is a issue and could be stuck as a AHler
The more interesting question to me is how the defensive corps shakes out. The following guys have played for the Coyotes this year:
Keith Yandle
Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Rostislav Klesla
David Schlemko
Derek Morris
Adrian Aucoin
Michal Rozsival
David Rundblad
Michael Stone
Chris Summers
Of those ten guys, only Aucoin and Rozsival are UFAs, and I kind of hope Aucoin comes back. He's obviously in decline due to his age, but his craftiness and tenacity make him a great role model for all the young defensemen this team has. His grit is contagious.
I'm thinking Goncharov has missed his opportunity, to be honest, and I suspect the Coyotes move him for a mid-round pick on draft day or early into camp. Nick Ross is probably a lost cause at this point, and I'm guessing he doesn't get another contract. So we can forget about those names. But I suspect Brandon Gormley will have a great camp and be in the mix for a spot on opening day, but he's also probably one of the first cuts just given the competition. Murphy, for as good as he's been this year, could probably use another year in the OHL. Given his fragility and the development time he's lost to injury, I want him brought along as slowly and carefully as possible.
So we're looking at probably ten guys who all can make a viable claim to one of six spots, and we know Maloney likes going into camp throwing as much against the wall as he can. Yandle and OEL are locks, obviously, and if Aucoin resigns, he is, too, as he obviously won't be sent down and I doubt Maloney trades a player 0 games into a new contract.
Summers is still waiver-exempt (I think), but at the age of 24, he's probably in do-or-die territory; if he doesn't make the team, I'm guessing GMDM ships him elsewhere. Stone and (I think) Rundblad can be sent down without waivers, too, if they don't make it, but I can see any or all three of these guys making a pretty strong case to make the team.
That leaves Klesla, Morris and Schlemko. Klesla fills a really important role on this team (I think he's been the third most valuable this year, after OEL and Yandle), so I think he's safe, which all but guarantees one of Morris or Schlemko is traded. All things considered, I think I'd rather move Schlemmer: the Coyotes will need help getting to the cap floor, and his low salary will be very attractive to other teams. Plus Morris is a great locker room guy.
So here's the breakdown:
Locks:
Yandle
OEL
Aucoin
Klesla
Tradeable:
Morris
Schlemko
Summers
Demotable:
Rundblad
Stone
That all said, here's my guess as to what happens:
The Coyotes go into opening day with a top six of:
OEL-Klesla
Yandle-Aucoin
Summers-Morris
Schlemko is packaged or traded straight up for a forward. Stone either starts the year as a healthy scratch or the first call-up, but he's my guess for the #7 spot regardless, and he should see at least 30 games spelling Aucoin and filling in for injuries (Klesla is pretty much guaranteed to miss some time). Rundblad starts the year in the AHL to work on his defense and is ready for sheltered minutes by midseason, at which point Maloney starts working on a deadline deal that sends Morris or Aucoin to a contender. Gormley spends the whole year in the AHL but for a few games as a late-season call-up. Murphy spends the whole year in the OHL.
That, to me, is the ideal situation given what we know right now, but maybe I'm getting ahead of myself here (by five or six hundreds words or so). At any rate, this is a huge position of strength.
interesting proposal on the calgary firesales thread.
backlund + moss for schlemko + tikhonov
Backlund fits perfectly into the young, former 1st rounder with skills who has 100 games of experience but not quite developed as expected. Getting something for Tikhonov would make me inclined to do this trade.
Moss is a UFA, guess he could be a stempniak for a year.
interesting proposal on the calgary firesales thread.
backlund + moss for schlemko + tikhonov
Backlund fits perfectly into the young, former 1st rounder with skills who has 100 games of experience but not quite developed as expected. Getting something for Tikhonov would make me inclined to do this trade.
Moss is a UFA, guess he could be a stempniak for a year.
Tikhonov and Moss have no value, for different reasons, at this point, in my opinion.
So, it'd be Schlemko for Backlund. I have a hard time seeing Calgary do that.
Tikhonov and Moss have no value, for different reasons, at this point, in my opinion.
So, it'd be Schlemko for Backlund. I have a hard time seeing Calgary do that.
I was surprised to see Backlund's name but I guess things havent gone that well for him. He's -13 in 41 games and only 4 goals. Schlemko has the same number of points, playing from defense at half the salary.
Still, unless they've lost patience, I dont see why Backlund wouldnt be part of their rebuild. I guess Tikhonov could still be seen as an attractive acquisition, playing at a high level, even if he's seen as worthless here.
I see this thread morphed into an off-season thread
waive BaBs and sign Montoya or trade for a reliable backup...
No. Don't waive LaBabs under any circumstance. Those paying attention to him at the games know how terrific he is in interacting with Smith on TV breaks and after games. Some small part of Smith's success has to be related to his relationship with LaBabs.
I know that LaBabs had a bad year, but his value lies on and off the ice. Keep him and hope for a bounce back year.
