Coyotes looking for veteran help to complement youth
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- While Coyotes nation is pinning its hopes on Max Domi, Anthony Duclair and a little bit of luck in Saturday's NHL Draft Lottery, captain Shane Doan offers a word of caution.
"I think it's putting a little too much pressure on some individuals," Doan said. "They're going to need a lot of support around them and a lot of help."
With that statement, the captain delivered the same message that his coach has been delivering the past two years. An injection of young, fast and dynamic players is certainly overdue and necessary in this organization, but young talent alone won't win a lot of NHL games. The Coyotes need experienced veterans, too.
If Don Maloney is true to his word, and if he is speaking for the team's ownership, the Coyotes plan to add the latter element this offseason while still keeping their eyes on the longer-term goal of competing for a Stanley Cup.
"When I say a three-to-four year plan, that's to be a legitimate Cup contender, not just a playoff team," Maloney said Monday at a press conference after the players cleared out their lockers. "We will be introducing some younger players ... but we know to compete in the West you need some experienced players."
Like Tippett, Maloney admitted he never wants to endure another season like the one that just ended in which Arizona posted its lowest point total (56) since moving to the Valley in 1996.
"We're going into this offseason giving ourselves a chance to be a playoff team," Maloney said.
Assuming Domi (and maybe Duclair) makes the team next year, Tobias Rieder continues to improve and Mikkel Boedker and Martin Hanzal return, the Coyotes will have a few pieces available for their top six forward spots next season while they wait for their other prospects to mature.
But both Maloney and coach Dave Tippett acknowledged that the team must find a center and at least one physical defenseman to round out a blue line that still needs help. (The Coyotes also need a backup goalie).
Maloney said Monday that the team is scouting countless players -- even looking in Europe for some short-term solutions -- but he expects the help to come primarily from teams who are bumping against the salary cap and must shed quality players to get back under it. If that's the case, and if the ownership group gives Maloney the financial flexibility he needs, who might the Coyotes be after?
Maloney acknowledged that the free-agent market is not strong this year, but there are some intriguing defensemen available like Boston's Adam McQuaid, a 28-year-old thumper who, at 6-feet-5, 209 pounds, could provide the physical presence Tippett has been seeking in his own end and in front of his net.
The Coyotes also need a center. Kyle Chipchura and Joe Vitale are not suited to top-six center slots, and Sam Gagner -- if he's still around next season -- is better suited on the wing. Top-six centers are hard to find because teams normally don't give them up, but there could be short-term solutions available. Toronto's Tyler Bozak has long been rumored as possible trade bait if the Leafs are looking to shed salary. Bozak, 29, has three years left on his contract at an average annual rate of $4.5 million.
There are other players who should be available, including Chicago wing Patrick Sharp and defenseman Johnny Oduya (free agent). Big-market teams like Philadelphia, New York and Los Angeles may also be forced to shed players.
"I think we're in a good spot, especially when you read that the 5 percent (cap) inflator might not be added," Maloney said. "The lower the cap, the better it helps us because we have some flexibility, and there are a number of teams that don't. Teams are quite concerned with where the cap's going to be. Those are all opportunities for us to take advantage of."
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