Arizona Coyotes

Which Coyotes free agents will return; which will not?

Published Jun. 28, 2015 5:27 p.m. ET

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GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Coyotes general manager Don Maloney had barely cleared his head of NHL Draft detritus and a weekend trade for defenseman Nicklas Grossmann when it was time to turn his thoughts to the immediate future.

The NHL's free agency period opens Wednesday at 9 a.m. Arizona time. The Coyotes have plenty of decisions to make, both with their own crop of restricted and unrestricted free agents, and with outside players that must fill some big holes in the current lineup.

To a man, the coaching staff, management and ownership groups have vowed they will field a more competitive team than last season's Western Conference cellar dweller. Adding Grossmann should help bring stability to a young blue line, and Max Domi should add excitement to the forward group, as should a healthy Mikkel Boedker. But the Coyotes have a glaring need at center, they'll probably look to add another defenseman and they need a backup goalie.

Given the franchise's ongoing legal battle with the City of Glendale, some player agents have said it will be more difficult for the Coyotes to lure good players in free agency, so trades may still present the better options. We'll take a deeper look at the shallow NHL pool of free agents on Monday.

Today, we examine the Coyotes' own free agents and the chances of them returning. For simplicity, we left most of the AHL players off our list.

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