Coyotes 2022 Offseason Reviews: Vejmelka & Crouse

In this week’s edition of the Arizona Coyotes 2021-22 offseason player reviews, we’ll take a look at two players this week and next with the season looming. Up this week are goaltender Karel Vejmelka and forward Lawson Crouse. After a breakout season last year, where Crouse recorded 20 goals and 14 assists for 34 points in 65 games, the Coyotes forward looks to bounce back from a season-ending surgery and build off last season. The goaltender — who’s nicknamed “Veggie” — on the other hand, looks to build off his rookie season, in which he surprised a lot of people on a not very good team.

Entering this past season, fans were eager to see if Crouse would take the next step after the team traded away some of their prolific goalscorers such as Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Conor Garland, and Christian Dvorak. But, perhaps the biggest question mark coming into last season for the Coyotes was Vejmelka, a 25-year-old rookie goalie who was making his NHL debut after spending his entire life/career in the Czech Republic.

Season in Review

This past season was quite the spectacle for the duo. First off, Crouse set new career highs in goals, points, and time on ice, while tying his career high in assists and taking on a bigger leadership role in the process. In addition, he tied career highs in takeaways, blocked 36 shots, and delivered 181 hits. He tied his high in shots and saw his shooting percentage increase by 9.6 percent. While not considered a breakout to most, Crouse took on a significant role this past season and it paid dividends, resulting in the Coyotes signing the forward to a five-year contract extension.