GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Coyotes opened rookie camp on Saturday at newly minted Gila River Arena, but it would be unwise to view this as Day 1 of auditions.
The real competition begins next week at training camp. It's rare that a player jumps into the discussion for a roster spot who wasn't expected to. In fact, Arizona general manager Don Maloney can't remember it ever happening in his 22 years as an executive.
"You pretty much know where everybody's at," he said. "Realistically, most of those players, they'll be going back to junior."
The players who have a chance to stick are well known at this point. They are forwards Max Domi, Lucas Lessio, Henrik Samuelsson, Tobias Rieder and Tyler Gaudet.
Anybody else would be a surprise.
"To get to main camp you've got to earn your right to get to main camp and some of that is done through their accomplishments along the way," coach Dave Tippett said. "But there are some guys who are trying to earn their way to main camp through their accomplishments this week.
FOX Sports Arizona will present a three-episode series called "Coyotes Camp: Building The Pack" that will follow the Arizona Coyotes throughout their 2014 Training Camp. The show will provide fans with a behind-the-scenes look at the Coyotes' players, coaches and management as well as never-seen-before access to the Coyotes dressing room, weight room, players' lounge and team plane. The first episode will debut on Monday, Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. on FOX Sports Arizona.
Look for behind-the-scene moments of the project's production here throughout training camp.
"There are maybe five or six guys that didn't play on our team last year that are going to come up and are really are in position to challenge for a job. And there are probably five or six guys on our team that if they don't play well, would be vulnerable. To get a spot you've got to beat somebody out; to keep your spot you've got to make sure nobody takes it."
When last season ended, Henrik Samuelsson was considered a long shot to make the 2014-15 roster due to concerns with his conditioning strength and skating. But the Scottsdale product worked hard over the summer.
He worked with his dad, Ulf, a former Coyotes assistant coach who serves in that same capacity with the New York Rangers. He took power skating lessons, he did quick-feet drills off the ice and he arrived in the Valley a month early to work with new Coyotes strength and conditioning coach JP Major.
"He looks more like a man instead of a younger guy," Tippett said. "Some of that is just maturity, but some of it is putting the extra work in. I'm interested to see the results and how he compares to other players."
To the naked eye, Samuelsson's biggest shortcoming has always been his skating, but Tippett said that fault can mask some good traits.
"He's not a pretty skater but there are a lot of players in this league that aren't pretty skaters," Tippett said. "I would say Henrik, if you just went out and did a skills test of players with puck skills, he would probably be in the top five of our whole organization."
The Coyotes are short on skill so Samuelsson bears watching as a player with an increasingly good chance of making the opening-day roster.
Last season, the Coyotes decided to experiment with Andy Miele on the wing in Portland to see if they could add some scoring punch there. That move forced Tobias Rieder to play center, something he hadn't done much, and the results were surprising when Tippett watch film from three separate games.
"Tobias was the best player on the ice," Tippett said chuckling. "He does a lot of things well in a game that the normal fan wouldn't notice. He's not going to go out and fight anybody or knock anybody off the puck and go and dangle. But he's going to make good, solid plays -- an unassuming play that might be a deflection that ends up in a rebound that ends up in a goal.
Rieder finished second in goals for the Pirates (28) and third in points (48) in 64 games.
"He's one of these players that finds a way to have an impact on a game and it's not all the time in a bold or star-studded way," Tippett said. "He doesn't do anything flashy; he just does a lot of things right."
Tippett doesn't expect Rieder to play center in the NHL -- not yet anyway -- but the Coyotes will experiment with him on both wings to add some versatility to the lineup.
"He's a similar player to (Martin) Erat," Tippett said. "I think it will be good for him to experience playing both left and right. When you get in a situation where you're shuffling lines, he's capable in all situations."
There's not much else that can be said about 2013 top pick Max Domi at this point. It's a wait-and-see situation.
"He's certainly in that group that is going to push for a job," Tippett said. "It's obvious by the numbers he puts up in juniors that he's a very talented player and can make great plays and score and all those things. But once you continue to move up in the ranks, the ability to play in certain situations along the wall and just playing with bigger, harder, smarter, more talented players -- where he can use his skill set in that game is yet to be determined."
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