The holiday season is in full swing as candles are being lit and Christmas lights are being hung. With the big day under two weeks away, it’s assumed the Arizona Coyotes will be on the good list this Christmas. With an ever-growing prospect pool and one of the youngest NHL rosters, bright days certainly are on the horizon for the Coyotes. There is also good reason to believe that with all the ups and downs throughout the years, there will be plenty of gifts under the tree from Santa. It seems fitting at The Hockey Writers to have our wish list, so without further ado, here are some wishes all Coyotes fans can agree on for the man in red.
Injury-Free Going Forward
Having played just 30 games this season, the Coyotes have already dealt with a multitude of injuries to crucial players. Arguably, the biggest has been center Barrett Hayton, who needed surgery on his hand and will remain out until early February (PHNX Sports). Hayton has struggled at times in his NHL career but found his footing towards the latter half of last season. Specifically, he flourished into a role on the first line with Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz. It was one of the best lines in hockey, and the chemistry on the ice was evident. In his absence, finding someone to slot in between Keller and Schmaltz has been a pain, and having him back soon would do wonders for the team.
Another center that has been out is 30-year-old Travis Boyd. While he may not be on the stat sheet every night and doesn’t make the flashy plays, his veteran absence has hurt the team recently. Not to mention, he has also cemented himself as one of the top penalty-killers on the team. Unfortunately, it appears he’ll be out for the entire season with a torn pectoral muscle. They have also had injuries on the blue line here and there. Sean Durzi has been in and out of the lineup recently, someone who is extremely important on the power play and playing big minutes.
Travis Dermott and Jusso Välimäki have also had their fair share of injuries. Välimäki’s was likely the most frightening since he received a 93-mile-per-hour slap shot to the face, which required surgery. Since returning to the lineup, he’s helped quarterback the second power-play unit, which has helped generate more chances than before.
“It was a 93-mile-an-hour one-timer to the face,” Välimäki said. “It’s kind of crazy to think about it afterwards, but the craziest thing is that when it happened, I didn’t feel anything. You’d think that you’d be in so much pain, but at the moment, you don’t feel a thing. I didn’t even know I was bleeding until [Matt Dumba] was like, ‘Bro, you gotta get off the ice here.’ And then everything kind of went dark for a second. I was like, ‘What’s happening? Where am I?’ And he’s like, ‘Get off the ice!’ Once I got off, I kind of realized what was happening.”
At the end of the day, getting key players back healthy will be vital for the Coyotes’ hopes of making the playoffs and playing meaningful games down the stretch.
Coyotes Make Wild-Card
In the past two seasons, the Coyotes had loads of bad contracts and were in no position to win games, let alone talk about the playoffs. But here we are in the middle of December, talking about just that. Through 30 games in 2021-22, they were 6-21-3 and had no business talking about the playoffs; it was all about Logan Cooley, Shane Wright, or Juraj Slafkovsky. In 2022-23, they took small baby steps forward with a record of 10-15-5. As mentioned, both seasons were full-on rebuilding, and to come out on top, every team has to go through it.
Compared to this season, which has seen plenty of ups and downs, it has been entirely different. Through 30 games, they are 15-13-2 and have taken massive leaps forward. Not only as a team, but certain players are shining. Durzi is blossoming in the desert after being acquired from the Los Angeles Kings this summer and Lawson Crouse is on pace for 30 goals, which would be a career-high. So many other players are following suit as well, and because of that, this team has a real shot at making the playoffs as a wild card.
The playoffs are miles away, and the Coyotes will have to cross several rivers to reach that point, but playoffs at Mullett Arena would be epic, and hopefully, Santa sees the same.
Arena Resolution
One of the biggest hurdles for the Coyotes’ existence has been finding a permanent home in the desert. Ever since the team moved from Winnipeg in the summer of 1996, it’s been a struggle. The recent news that the Coyotes could be eyeing a plot of land in Northeast Phoenix could cement themselves in Arizona for decades to come. Yet, what would an arena do for the Coyotes in the long and short term?
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First off, it would establish the Coyotes in Arizona. This sounds obvious, but it would prevent any relocation rumors from happening. It would prevent any false rumors that the team could be packing up to go to Houston, Salt Lake City, or Quebec City. It would also establish an even larger fan base. When the team is winning, more people want to come to watch, so creating a winning environment on the ice would help solve issues off the ice as well. While Santa might not be able to deliver news this Christmas, it won’t be long until the Coyotes announce plans for their new site, which would open endless possibilities.
Are Coyotes on the Naughty Or Nice List?
Now, these four wishes would go miles for this franchise’s hopes, which begs the question: are the Coyotes on the naughty or nice list? With everything that has transpired throughout the past five seasons, it’s fair to assume that they are finally on the nice list. A new chapter is on the horizon for the Coyotes, and with all the players and draft capital they’ve built up, the future in the desert couldn’t be brighter.
Happy Holidays, Coyotes fans.
