Cellar-dwelling Arizona Coyotes shoot for short-term rebuild
TORONTO — Rebuilding isn’t easy in the NHL, and Arizona Coyotes general manager Don Maloney knows “there’s no quick fixes in this game.” But ownership and management envision a short-term retooling process to get back into contention sooner rather than later.
“We have a lot of good pieces already,” president and CEO Anthony LeBlanc said in a recent interview. “I don’t think it’s a many-year process. I think that this team will be better next year.”
The Coyotes are on their way to their worst season in more than a decade but see hope on the horizon.
It begins at next month’s trade deadline, when Maloney has plenty of valuable pieces to deal. It could be a great opportunity to build on a strong group of prospects led by Canadian world junior star Max Domi.
“You hope that it’s a one-year thing and next year you’re better,” captain Shane Doan said. “I think that the young kids that they have are talented and hopefully they learn their game the right way and play the game the right way.”
Maloney has already turned backup goaltender Devan Dubnyk into a third-round pick and could ship out centre Antoine Vermette, winger Martin Erat and defenceman Zbynek Michalek (all unrestricted free agents) and others such as Keith Yandle before the NHL March 2 trade deadline.
“If there are any positives coming out of this miserable season, there are opportunities to get better as an organization,” Maloney said last week. “That’s what we’re trying to do.”
Doan, LeBlanc said, isn’t going anywhere, but the Coyotes will entertain trade talk on just about anyone else on the roster.
“I do believe we have some players that could be very helpful to a playoff team and a team trying to win a Stanley Cup,” Maloney said. “We’re talking and listening and seeing if there’s something that’s going to help us.”