Coyotes' moves send message while committing to more youth
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Following his team's 4-0 loss to the Kings on Thursday night, Coyotes coach Dave Tippett was asked if it was time for dramatic personnel changes on his team.
"Who are you thinking, like players from the minors?" Tippett asked. "Where are you going to get the players?"
General manager Don Maloney answered that question on Friday. In a shake-up of the bottom portion of the roster, the Coyotes traded forward Rob Klinkhammer and a conditional 2016 fifth-round draft pick to Pittsburgh for minor-league defenseman Philip Samuelsson (the older brother of Coyotes prospect Henrik Samuelsson). The draft pick will be dealt only in the unlikely event Samuelsson plays 40-plus games with the Coyotes this season.
The Coyotes also waived forward Kyle Chipchura and re-assigned defenseman David Schlemko to Portland while recalling defenseman Andrew Campbell and forward Jordan Martinook from Portland. If Chipchura clears waivers, he could report to Portland or he could remain with the club now that Klinkhammer is gone and there is another roster spot open.
Friday's moves are consistent with ones the Coyotes tried to make before the season. They tried trading Chipchura, Klinkhammer and Schlemko (they tried again with Schlemko recently) without any takers.
By moving all three, Maloney accomplished three things: He created roster spots for younger players, some financial flexibility and he sent a message to the team that its current play is not acceptable. The Coyotes are 13th in the 14-team Western Conference, nine points off the playoff pace with six consecutive home losses.
"I can take the losses if the losses are out of simply being out-skilled, but what I can't accept is getting outcompeted, and that's what we've been seeing," Maloney said. "We have to look at everybody and say 'where are we? Are we making any progress?' I don't like where we're trending right now, so you make some changes to try and change that."
BRUINS at COYOTES
When: 6 p.m. Saturday
Where: Gila River Arena, Glendale
TV: FOX Sports Arizona
Records: Boston 14-12-1; Arizona 10-14-3
Injuries: Coyotes D Brandon Gormley (lower body) and F David Moss (upper body) are day to day. Bruins F David Krejci (undisclosed), D Zdeno Chara (knee), D Adam McQuaid (thumb), D David Warsofsky (groin).
Scouting the Bruins: These are not your Bruins of the recent past. The trade of D Johnny Boychuk for cap reasons, the loss of F Jarome Iginla in free agency (also due to cap issues) and the early-season, left-knee ligament injury to top D Zdeno Chara have left the Bruins both vulnerable on the back end and short on offense. Thursday's 7-4 loss in San Jose was a classic example. It marked the second time Boston has scored more than two goals in its past 11 games and dropped Boston to 14th in goals against per game (2.59). The Bruins finished in the top three in that category each of the past two seasons. They're 22nd in goals per game (2.41).... Boston has had the fewest power play opportunities in the NHL at 64.
On Friday, TSN's Bob McKenzie reported Maloney entered the Coyotes' dressing room after the team's 3-0 loss to Calgary on Nov. 28 and threatened to seek trades for core players with limited no-trade clauses if the team's play did not improve. McKenzie said Maloney even contacted the players' agents to get a list of teams to which they would accept trades.
Maloney said the meeting he had with players was actually the following day, and it was not the tirade it was portrayed in the TSN report.
There is little argument the Coyotes' top players have not played to their capabilities this season. Aside from backup goalie Devan Dubnyk and rookie Tobias Rieder, you'd be hard pressed to find a player on the roster who has.
Goalie Mike Smith admitted as much in a blunt assessment of his own play after Thursday's loss.
But there is a flip side to this argument. Management hasn't done its part to improve the roster, regardless of restrictive finances.
Maloney chose to buy out center Mike Ribeiro in the offseason, and he's having a strong rebound season in Nashville. Maloney chose to let Radim Vrbata walk in free agency despite Vrbata's willingness to give the Coyotes a hometown discount. Vrbata has 11 goals and 20 points in 24 games, playing alongside the Sedins in Vancouver.
The latter move was likely a product of available payroll. The Coyotes are last in the NHL in spending, despite assurances from ownership this summer that they would be higher. But the replacements Maloney brought in -- Sam Gagner, Joe Vitale and B.J. Crombeen -- haven't delivered a positive impact.
"I need to be held accountable like everyone," Maloney said.
McKenzie's report made it seem that Maloney believes bigger changes may be needed.
"Maybe," he said. "I hate to say that we're too comfortable, but maybe we are. Everybody talks about what a good room it is, but we're not in the Kumbaya business, we're in the winning business."
Maloney said he has no complaints about Tippett's coaching staff.
"The level of preparation and everything that I've seen from them is top notch," he said. "No, that's not the problem."
Despite the desire to add better players, it still seems unlikely the Coyotes will make any major moves in the immediate future. The NHL Board of Governor's approval of Andrew Barroway's deal to purchase 51 percent of the team is delayed, perhaps until the All-Star break in late January, so the Coyotes may have to wait until the trade deadline or the offseason to make big changes.
Maloney said the current ownership limbo does not preclude him from making deals, but he is still waiting for more direction on the budget from the new ownership group.
"I have a budget that I work under, and it is what it is," he said. "Generally speaking, it costs money to get skill, but that's no excuse. We have enough here I believe to be a competitive playoff contender, and we're not doing that."
Among the current players who might be desirable to other teams when the time is right are center Antoine Vermette, who will be a free agent at season's end, wing Mikkel Boedker, who will be a restricted free agent, center Martin Hanzal, who has two more years left on a deal that will pay him a total of $7 million over those two seasons, and defenseman Keith Yandle, who has one more year on his deal and will make $5.75 million.
But for now, the changes may only be minor. Martinook will get a look to see if he can add speed and size. Campbell will get a look to see if he can improve the team's defensive-zone coverage, and forwards Tyler Gaudet and Henrik Samuelsson are likely to get looks down the road.
Top prospect Max Domi will have to wait another year, but the rest of the Coyotes' youth movement has begun.
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