Coyotes State of the Union

2023-2024 Season

The rioting has finally subsided in the desert after what can only be described as one of the most controversial moments in DCHL history. Now that the sand has finally settled, we can take a moment to review the current state of the franchise.

We start off by reviewing the forwards on the team.
Expected opening lineup:

                                                       Svechnikov – Barkov – Nichushkin
                                                         Kane – Karlsson – Beniers
                                                        Crouse – Lowry – Helm
                                                     Novak– Stenlund – Greenway

Svechnikov and Barkov are both elite top line players, and still under contract for an extended period of time as they are both still RFA’s. Nichushkin just recently signed a 5x6.2m contract, signalling his intent to spend his prime years with the Coyotes.

Beniers, likely to take over the 2C roll in the next three years, looks to have an impactful rookie season for the squad. There are several questions surrounding how this second line will look in the coming years as Kane only has two years remaining on his deal and Karlsson with three.

As we move to the bottom six, we see Lawson Crouse as the play driver with Lowry and Helm playing alongside him. Long-time fan favorite, Adam Lowry, still has three years remaining on his deal and Darren Helm just signed a one-year deal with the team in the off season. Course is still on his RFA deal and will likely be looking for a raise for the 2025-26 season.

Finally the fourth line is centered by Kevin Stenlund, flanked by Jordan Greenway and Tommy Novak. Novak is a dark horse to look at replacing either Kane of Karlsson in the coming years and he looks to make big strides for the Coyotes.

With young forwards like Angus Crookshank, Gage Goncalves, and John Beecher all in the AHL,  as well as the Coyotes top prospect, Marco Kasper, we are excited to see who will be the first amongst them to break into the big leagues to help assist this team as it continues to progress to its goal of hoisting the cup.

We move now to the defensive core.
Expected opening lineup:

                                                             Bouchard – Provorov
                                                              Parayko – Chabot
                                                                Graves – Schultz

The Coyotes have now an incredibly strong defensive group, especially after moving prospect Brendan Brisson to the rival Stars in return for Colton Parayko as well as packaging Adam Larsson and prospect Ty Nelson to Seattle for Thomas Chabot. Bringing in Parayko will help the team immensely in the defensive zone, while Chabot will help to make more of an impact on the scoresheet. 

It is believed that Evan Bouchard has solidified an opening night spot on the top line alongside Ivan Provorov after an incredible first season with the Coyotes. Newcomers Parayko and Chabot will slot in on the second pair, complimenting each other’s playstyles. Graves will have no competition for his spot on the third pair, however it is likely that we will see a rotation of Justin Schultz, Dante Fabbro, and Dylan Samberg throughout the year for that sixth spot.

This may be the deepest lineup we have seen the Coyotes put together on defence. A spot that in previous seasons has felt either neglected or too thin.

Finally, in net.
Expected starting lineup:

                                                               Jake Oettinger
                                                                  Jake Allen
                                                             Spencer Martin

The first pick by GM Trevor Sifton has finally paid off. After being selected 17^th overall in the DCHL draft (NHL GM’s don’t know shit), Otter will finally solidify the crease as his for years to come. When first taking over this team, there was no secret that the previous GM had neglected the position with few goalie prospects in the pipeline, it was clear that the situation needed to be addressed. The Coyotes now have one of the strongest tandems in the DCHL as veteran Jake Allen will back up Otter, while Spencer Martin will likely be starting for the farm team.

The Coyotes, this off season, have also managed to collect a number of picks. With a number of prospects likely not panning out for the team, expect the Coyotes to make a number of cutes after the season as they look to restock the shelves. 

With future prospects in the pipeline such as Marco Kasper, Trevor Kuntar, Mikhail Gulyayev, and Ruslan Khazheyev, the future continues to look bright in the desert. With a Presidents Trophy already to the franchises name, Arizona continues to set its sights on the goal of hoisting the Stanley Cup.