The Arizona Coyotes are coming off a big 3-2 win against the Nashville Predators, leaving them just four points out of a wild card spot. Entering quite possibly their toughest stretches of games to end the month, including the Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Carolina Hurricanes, the Coyotes’ playoff hopes will be tested.
If these next four games aren’t already big enough, the Coyotes have an even bigger issue that’s been a nagging concern this season. Forward Liam O’Brien has done more harm than good for the desert dogs this season, and if the Coyotes want to end their playoff drought, they may need to cut ties with their enforcer. We take a look at some names who could take his place as well.
Penalties Have Been A Nagging Issue
Over the last two seasons, the Coyotes took plenty of penalties as the team went through “tanking.” This season looked promising, many hoped they would be more skill and make fewer mistakes. Through 44 games, they have accumulated a whopping 533 penalty minutes, fourth most in the league. The alarming part about this stat is that out of those 533 penalty minutes, 105 of them have been accredited to O’Brien.
Related: Coyotes 2022 Offseason Player Reviews: Liam O’Brien
For comparison, the last NHL player to record 200 penalty minutes in a single season was Buffalo Sabres forward Rob Ray, who registered 200 minutes in 72 games during the 2001-02 season. That was 22 seasons ago. O’Brien is currently projected to finish the season with 196 penalty minutes, but it wouldn’t be out of the realm for him to top 200.
Just how outlandish is this you may ask. He ranks first in the league in penalty minutes, and has 62 more than the next closest guy on the Coyotes, Matt Dumba, who has 43. Why exactly has he spent this much time in the box?
A large part can be attributed to fighting. He’s been involved in seven fights this season, equaling out to 35 penalty minutes. The next reason, and perhaps the biggest has been his affinity with taking an additional minor for something pointless usually before or after a fight. This was especially evident in the team’s game against the Vancouver Canucks in which O’Brien was fined $2,018.23, the maximum allowable under the collective bargaining agreement, for roughing Sam Lafferty.
Who Deserves Ice Time Over Him?
While there are people who appreciate all O’Brien brings, standing up for his teammates, answering the bell, etc., you can’t help but think there has to be someone who can stand up for his teammates, but also provide offense. Some good examples on the team’s current roster include Jason Zucker, Dumba, Michael Carcone, and Jack McBain.
But what about beyond the current roster? What about some of the players on the Tucson Roadrunners, the Coyotes’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate? A guy like Nathan Smith comes to mind. Acquired from the Winnipeg Jets last season at the trade deadline, he has accounted for 20 penalty minutes this season in 29 games, but has registered 16 points on three goals and 13 assists. He has been a solid center with the Roadrunners this season, and could get a look with the Coyotes at some point late this season.
Some other names include Jan Jeník and John Leonard, both of whom have registered over 20 penalty minutes and 15 points this season. They are the two most likely candidates if the Coyotes are to move on from O’Brien with both having a couple of games of NHL experience under their belts.
Final Thoughts
Of course, this is all speculation. General manager Bill Armstrong hasn’t hinted at moving on from O’Brien, and his teammates appreciate all that he does. He’s also having his best career season, projected to finish with 13 points (six goals, seven assists). The cold hard truth is this: the Coyotes are in a position to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2019-20 shortened COVID-19 bubble season.
As much as he’s liked by his teammates, the Coyotes can’t afford O’Brien to cost them chances with his costly penalty minutes, and if they want to break the drought, they’ll need to make a change and either move him at the deadline or send him down to Tucson.
