The NHL is approaching the 2024 All-Star Break and the Arizona Coyotes couldn’t be more thankful for it. After registering two big back-to-back wins against the Nashville Predators and Pittsburgh Penguins, the team hit a literal wall, dropping the final three games on their schedule before entering the break.
The Coyotes didn’t just lose though, they were embarrassed, point blank. They allowed six goals in back-to-back losses against the Florida Panthers on Wednesday (Jan. 24) and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday (Jan. 25). Two poor outings were followed up with quite possibly their worst performance of the season, a 3-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday (Jan. 27), registering just one shot on goal in the third period.
For the first time all season, the Coyotes looked like their prior selves from the past two seasons. They didn’t look competitive, and they lacked much fight. They left goaltenders Karel Vejmelka and Connor Ingram out to dry. They were plagued by the injury bug, with Troy Stecher, Matt Dumba, and Travis Dermott being sidelined for some time, adding to the already extensive list of injuries. This has put the Coyotes in quite the position as they enter the break. With the recent surge of other wild card-hopeful teams, could the Coyotes’ struggles determine their trade deadline status?
Should Fans Be Worried About The Team’s Status?
It’s not hard as a Coyotes fan to look at the recent success of teams like the St. Louis Blues and Seattle Kraken and not panic about the team’s direction coming out of the break. Their struggles in the new year have been well documented, going 4-9-0, while being outscored 48-33 in that stretch, managing to pick up just eight out of a possible 26 points.
Related: Should the Coyotes Be Buyers or Sellers at the Deadline?
Could things work themselves out? Yes, obviously they can. For the Coyotes’ sake, teams like the Los Angeles Kings and Nashville Predators have hit snags in the road leaving them just outside of a wild card spot. You can’t help but wonder though what general manager Bill Armstrong is thinking through all of this. His vision this season was to ice a competitive team, and that they have been. They have registered 49 points in 48 games, a mark they have only topped three other times in the last 10 seasons.
Who Could Armstrong Move Out?
We’ve taken a look at names that Armstrong could keep tabs on, and we’ve also mentioned names that could be on the move. The team ultimately doesn’t have many pieces to play with. The three biggest assets they have to deal are Dumba, Jason Zucker, and goaltender Vejmelka. Neither brings a huge return, but if the team is out of the running in late February, then Armstrong may have no other choice but to deal.
These potential moves would make way for the Coyotes to call up some of their younger pieces such as Josh Doan, Aku Räty, Nathan Smith, Matthew Villalta, etc. While they would prefer to keep their younger core down in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Tucson Roadrunners, they could benefit by allowing their younger talent to gain some NHL experience before making the full-time leap.
Which Way Should the Coyotes Lean?
Struggles don’t always equate to failure. The Edmonton Oilers are a perfect example of that. They started the season off poorly, made a coaching change, and are currently on a 16-game winning streak. The Coyotes could turn their fortune around. They are hopefully getting Barrett Hayton back, who’s been out since Nov. 16 with a hand injury, as well as Dumba and Dermott. With a full roster, the Coyotes could find their groove again.
Overall, the biggest piece that gets left out when mentioning the team’s struggles is that they are still rebuilding at the end of the day. No one expected them to be in this spot at the break, and most don’t expect them to make the playoffs. The Coyotes have beat the odds and have themselves in the perfect spot to make a run and sneak into the playoffs, but these recent stretches of poor play and costly mistakes could dispel any hope, and result in them being sellers come the trade deadline.