Pondering the Coyotes' lines, defensive pairings, special teams
The preoccupation with forward lines by NHL fans and beat writers is perplexing, given the highly fluid nature of those lines. Writers tweet them breathlessly from practices, only to have the coaches change them one period into a game when the matchups aren't working to their liking.
Toss in the fact the Coyotes still will assess which young players will make the team and may not be finished tinkering with their roster, and it's probably folly to speculate on what Arizona's lines will look like this season.
It is, however, a slow summer day in the post-draft, post-free agency void where news is sparse. So we decided to take a stab at what those lines, defensive pairings, power play and penalty killing units will look like with some insight from the Coyotes coaching staff.
Two of the top three forward lines and the power play are particularly difficult to peg since roster spots along the wings still are up for grabs. With that in mind, we threw out some options with comments.
FORWARDS
| Left wing | Center | Right wing |
| Anthony Duclair | Antoine Vermette | Steve Downie |
| Max Domi | Martin Hanzal | Mikkel Boedker |
| Tobias Rieder | Brad Richardson | Shane Doan |
| Kyle Chipchura | Boyd Gordon | Joe Vitale |
| Extras: John Scott, Craig Cunningham |
Comments: Downie probably doesn't belong in a top-9 forward role but unless one of the Coyotes younger players steps up or Arizona swings a trade for another veteran, he may be pressed into that role. ... The idea of playing Hanzal between Boedker and Domi has been floated and this combination would allow Domi to play with some speed skill (Boedker) while Hanzal does the dirty work to get them the puck and create net-front presence. Two concerns arise, however. Are the Coyotes too small on the wings and wouldn't Boedker and or Domi be better served playing alongside a center that can keep up? Hanzal does a lot of things for the Coyotes but speed is not his forte. ... Coach Dave Tippett floated the idea of Richardson, Rieder and Doan playing together. This would be a very good NHL third line, combining speed, grit and two-way responsibility while balancing the top nine. It would also allow Doan to shift into a role that is probably better suited for his game at age 39. ... Gordon playing the middle allows Vitale to play more of a north-south game -- one in which we believe he is far better suited to succeed than at the center position.
FORWARDS (option 2)
| Left wing | Center | Right wing |
| Brendan Perlini |
Antoine Vermette | Mikkel Boedker |
| Max Domi |
Martin Hanzal | Anthony Duclair |
| Tobias Rieder | Brad Richardson | Shane Doan |
| Kyle Chipchura | Boyd Gordon | Joe Vitale |
| Extras: Steve Downie, John Scott, Craig Cunningham |
Comments: Perlini didn't play a full year last season due to a broken hand. He would probably be better served with another year of development in juniors and that is still the safe bet for what will happen, but if he impresses at camp, it could solve some issues in the team's top nine. ... Duclair is a left shot but he has played both wings in his career so moving him to the right side would not be a big adjustment. ... Downie could fill in as needed, maybe moving into the fourth line when Chipchura or Vitale is struggling. ... By the way, we don't get the Scott signing at all. In seven NHL seasons, he has contributed little. His enforcer brand of hockey seems like a step back to a style that analytics-based player evaluation has already proven to be ineffective.
DEFENSEMEN
| Left defense |
Right defense |
| Oliver Ekman-Larsson | Zbynek Michalek |
| Nicklas Grossmann | Michael Stone |
| Klas Dahlbeck | Connor Murphy |
| Extras: Brandon Gormley, Philip Samuelsson |
Comments: We've mentioned it before, but imagine how good this defensive corps would look had the Coyotes completed a trade for Dougie Hamilton. They were aggressive in pursuing the big right-hander, who would have paired with Ekman-Larsson for years to come. Had they completed that deal -- GM Don Maloney thought they were going to -- it would have allowed them to drop Michalek to the third pairing and given them a very solid group. Arizona may still try to swing a deal for a right-handed defenseman, but Michalek will have to man the top pairing if they can't complete that trade. ... It will be interesting to see what happens with as-yet unsigned restricted free agent Brandon Gormley. There doesn't seem to be a regular role for him in this group, barring injuries, so it's fair to wonder about his long-term prospects.
POWER PLAY 1
| Left wing |
Center | Right wing |
| Rieder | Vermette | Doan |
| LEFT DEFENSE |
RIGHT DEF. |
|
| Ekman-Larsson | Boedker |
POWER PLAY 2
| Left wing | Center | Right wing |
| Domi | Hanzal | Duclair |
|
LEFT DEFENSE |
RIGHT DEF. | |
| Murphy | Stone |
PENALTY KILL 1
| Forward | Forward |
| Vermette | Richardson |
|
LEFT DEFENSE |
RIGHT DEFENSE |
| Grossmann |
Michalek |
PENALTY KILL 2
| Forward |
Forward |
| Gordon | Rieder |
| LEFT DEFENSE | RIGHT DEFENSE |
| Dahlbeck | Murphy |
Follow Craig Morgan on Twitter
