The 2022-23 NHL season has officially come to an end with the Vegas Golden Knights capturing Lord Stanley’s Cup in five games over the Florida Panthers. With 10 days remaining before round one of the 2023 NHL Draft kicks off, our team of writers at The Hockey Writers continues to dive into offseason player/position reviews leading up to draft night. In the third installment of our five-part offseason review series, we take a look at the right winger position for the Arizona Coyotes and how they fared this past year.
The Coyotes ended the 2022-23 campaign with a total of five right wingers listed on the roster: Clayton Keller, Lawson Crouse (left/right winger), Christian Fischer, Brett Ritchie, and Zack Kassian. With three of the five currently labeled as core players for the future, and with the potential that Coyotes add and/or potentially subtract from the right wing position this offseason, we break down each player’s past season and what to expect ahead of next season.
Clayton Keller
A year and three months after a scary March night, the Coyotes kicked off their 2022-23 season in Pittsburgh, and despite speculation, forward Clayton Keller was on the ice after a miraculous and speedy comeback from a rather gruesome injury. This comeback marked the beginning of what ended up being a spectacular and eye-catching season. In 82 games he recorded 37 goals, 49 assists and 86 points, all new career highs, while averaging over a point per game. He ended this past season as a finalist for the Bill Masterton Trophy.
Related: Coyotes’ Keller Remains Underappreciated Throughout the NHL
The sky’s the limit going forward for the potential future captain. While time will only tell, it’d be no surprise to see Keller only get better going forward, statistically speaking. With prospects Dylan Guenther and Logan Cooley expected to be mainstays on the roster for next year, the Coyotes are only going to get better and more fun to watch going forward as a team. Add in the impeccable line chemistry with forwards Nick Schmaltz and Barrett Hayton, and you have a recipe for not only success but for continued growth.
The days of being considered a pushover opponent no longer stand with this team. The Coyotes are building a future competitor with their core. Keller is the focal point, and the recognition will only continue to come as he continues to put Arizona on notice around the league.
Lawson Crouse
Like Nick Schmaltz, who has appeared in both the center and left winger article, forward Lawson Crouse finds himself in this week’s edition as well. Two years ago, Crouse was projected by this writer to have a breakout season, and he did just that. He registered 34 points in 65 games on 20 goals and 14 assists — a 25-goal, 43-point pace over 82 games. While not a breakout in most people’s opinions, it was nevertheless a year of career highs for the Ontario native. By the end of the 2022-23 season, the appropriately nicknamed “Sheriff” once again set new career highs in goals, assists, and points, finishing the year with 24 goals, 21 assists, and 45 points in 77 games.
Not only did Crouse finish the season stronger than the year before, but his overall play took a huge leap forward. He drastically cut down on his penalty minutes, registering 35 compared to 52 in 2021-22. His play with and without the puck improved as well, becoming a strong, reliable two-way forward, thanks in part to the chemistry he developed with rookie Mattias Maccelli. He took on a leadership role, assuming the duty as one of the team’s three alternate captains alongside Keller and Christian Fischer. Coming off last month’s World Championship win against Germany, management will be expecting the 25-year-old forward to yet again take another step forward in his game.
Christian Fischer
Fischer has had an interesting NHL career to date. Originally a second-round pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, the 26-year-old winger showed early signs of promise, registering 33 points in 79 games on 15 goals and 18 assists during his rookie season in 2017-18. What started as promise, with the hope of a future top-six forward, quickly turned into a depth role, registering 48 points over the next four seasons in 232 games. While Fischer’s production level took a dip, his role as a penalty kill specialist and veteran-depth forward blossomed.
Fischer, much to the surprise of many, took a step forward in his production this season, registering 13 goals and 14 assists for 27 points in 80 games, his first 20-point, 10-plus goal/assist season in five years. He had a plus/minus rating of minus-7, the best of his career since 2019-20. He nearly doubled his shooting production, registering 122 shots on goal, the first time he registered over 100 in four seasons while shooting a respectable 10.7 percent. Currently a restricted free agent, Fischer has made his intentions clear, over and over, he wants to be here to help this team win. General manager Bill Armstrong certainly feels the same, listing him as a core player of the future. Expect the Coyotes to hammer out a deal to keep their depth quarterback around for the rebuild.
Brett Ritchie
Brett Ritchie came to Arizona just minutes before the deadline from the Calgary Flames in return for his brother Nick Ritchie, the first-ever brother-for-brother trade in NHL history. His arrival in the desert was delayed due to visa issues. Upon his arrival, Ritchie played just 16 games for the Coyotes, registering two goals, three assists, and five points. In addition, he added two penalty minutes and a plus/minus rating of minus-2. Listed as a restricted free agent this offseason, the market may be rather small, leading many to wonder if Ritchie will re-up in the desert for another season.
Zack Kassian
Perhaps the biggest disappointment for the Coyotes this season was that of winger Zack Kassian, whom they acquired from the Edmonton Oilers on July 7, 2022. After a career-best 34-point season with the Oilers in 2019-20, the Coyotes got perhaps the worst version of Kassian yet. In 51 games, he registered two points in addition to a staggering minus-18 plus/minus rating and a whopping 50 penalty minutes. Signed through the 2023-24 season, don’t be surprised to see Armstrong try and shed his contract this summer rather than scratching him most nights.
Final Thoughts
This past season saw the Coyotes dress five right wingers, amassing a total of 165 points. With free agency approaching, trades happening, and the likelihood of some prospects making the 2023-24 opening night roster, next year’s Coyotes right wing depth isn’t expected to change drastically but could look a tad different. Regardless of what happens, we’ll keep you up to date at The Hockey Writers. Next week, we will take a look at the defensemen.
