2019 NHL Draft - June 21st - With The 14th Selection, The Coyotes.......

[BUX7PHX]

There comes a time when we need to start developing high end home grown talent. If we were a primo destination for FA's I might be more inclined to agree with you. Since we're not, we need to start making and stocking high quality picks one after the other, year after year. I don't want to trade the pick for a 2nd line wing. I want to start stocking Tucson like Detroit stocked their AHL club, year after year. That's how you manage a 20 year playoff run.

Detroit was stockpiling from a very late draft position consistently. Obviously, closer to #1 that we pick means the less risk to that player succeeding in the long run, but I also think that we have to be smart about recognizing the 2-3 players of the group of 6-7 that will be good players and taking the proper risk. Detroit wasn't bothered with where they picked, but had a knack of finding the best in who they picked.

Same thing for us, and we are getting improvements on this front.

 

[GhostofYotesFan47]

I feel like if we’re going to get lucky and stumble upon possible top line NHLers outside of the consensus Top10 - I’d look at Caufield and Newhook. Both have risks that drop them to our range but both have more absolute upside than other kids in their range. It’d be nice to get both!

So let’s say the Top12 on McKenzie’s latest poll are the twelve that go first (in some order). That leaves Caufield and Newhook both on the board for Florida’s pick.

Let’s say by that time they’ve got tentative deals in place for Panarin and Bobrovsky. Would they bite on Fischer+45th for Luongo+13th? They drop their 1st pick 32 spots and clear 4.5mil in cap in the process. We agree to buy him out immediately and he can return to the Florida organization as a goalie consultant, right away.

We pick Newhook and Caufield 13th and 14th. Florida signs Panarin and Bobrovsky. Luongo gets his money upfront and doesn’t have to leave home.

Win-win-win???

Sold, lets get this process moving!

 

[BUX7PHX]

You can't keep on giving away young unproven players without knowing what you have in him. This is a terrible deal. If you want to trade Fischer, get a kid his age back, like we did in the Schmaltz trade. I just don't understand how you guys a few years ago wanted to trade all the vets and play the kids, even though they weren't ready, now that they are maturing, you want to start trading them for vets on their down side of their career.

Maybe I am making this too simple, but I think you are sidestepping some logic here.

Logic says that Fischer, a player whom we drafted at #32 OA a few years ago, may not be as productive in this environment. I take no issue with moving a young player for the right pieces to the puzzle. The draft will always be there to replenish with youth. The windows to trade pieces open and shut so much that this would be a price of business type of deal for immediate help.

Like Chayka said regarding Strome, you are placing a lot of hope on Fischer breaking out when he has seen the press box more consistently. While there is hope put on acquiring Zucker, I think that it is fair to say that Zucker has greater proof behind that hope, and there is no guarantee that the #14 OA pick given up turns out better than Zucker, the same way that there is no guarantee the #43 OA pick is better than Fischer.

 

[Grimes]

You can't keep on giving away young unproven players without knowing what you have in him. This is a terrible deal. If you want to trade Fischer, get a kid his age back, like we did in the Schmaltz trade. I just don't understand how you guys a few years ago wanted to trade all the vets and play the kids, even though they weren't ready, now that they are maturing, you want to start trading them for vets on their down side of their career.

We have 8 kids playing on the roster and we have for the past two seasons. There are 19 roster spots. Roughly half of our forwards are under 25. The average age of the roster this year is 27.1, which is heavily weighted because of the amount of vets on the blueline. The following would be in the "kid" territory.
Keller - 20
Fischer - 22 on 4/15
Dvorak - 23
Crouse - 22 in June
Chychrun - just turned 21 (wow)
Schmaltz - 23
Hino - just turned 25
Garland - 23


We have the following knocking on the NHL's door
Merkely
Cappobianco
Hayton
Bunting
and to a lesser extent
POJ
Schnarr
whomever we draft this season

There are only 12 forward spots and 6 defenseman spots. I count 8 young forwards in the top list which allows us to have 4 vets. Out of those 4 spots Stepan, Grabner, Galchenyuk (still so impressive that he just turned 25 and is only a year older than Domi), Richardson are not going anywhere. We are most likely losing Panik and will most likely retain Cousins. Archibald is around too for depth. We need to add goals. Do we hope that Merkely can take Panik's spot and bring an additional 15-20 with all the other kids seeing growth? Or do we open an additional spot by moving a young forward to help shelter the remaining 7 on the roster? Fischer, Hino and Garland are the only ones I would be comfortable moving. Garland wont return enough, and I thought Hino was better than Fischer, although he is two years older. If we could trade in Stepan or Richardson for a 5o-60 point center somehow I'd be all for it, but that won't happen, so the only way in my mind to add 20 more goals from one player next year is by cutting ways with one of the promising kids. I don't want Merkely to stay buried in Tucson, which means it would be best to make sure there is a spot for him to compete for this season or we move him before his value is tanked (he will be 22 next season). We are in the spot of having too many good things, but we need more great things.

 

[checkerdome]

If you had the choice between having the almost-playoff-season you, in fact, experienced this year or drafting in the top three this year; what would you prefer?

 

[Grimes]

If we don't move any players but do not re-sign Cousins, or Panik.

Keller-Dvorak-Schmaltz
Galchenyuk-Stepan-Fischer
Grabner-Richardson-Hinostroza
Crouse-X-Garland

That roster won't do much better than this year unless we see significant progression from the kids and a return to the 30 goal Galchenyuk (I've been saying this for a while but it's a contract year so I can see it happening). Merkely can be a call up for injuries but this is a very shallow roster. Can we add someone like Hoffman or Zucker without moving Fischer or Hino?

What are our chances of just signing Lee, Nyquist, Nelson or Skinner? I do think adding a 20 goal true top 6 guy to replace Panik may make all the lines click and we see that progress from the kids that is needed. But the roster still looks very much like a bubble team. Hayton better be the second coming of Bergeron...

 

[Mosby]

If you had the choice between having the almost-playoff-season you, in fact, experienced this year or drafting in the top three this year; what would you prefer?

Almost playoffs. If you said top 2 pick my answer is different.

 

[Mosby]

I have read a comical number of comments today of people thinking last night's lotto was fixed because the top 3 picks went to Chicago and two NY area markets -- i.e., huge American markets. Wow. Yeah because bumping the 2nd biggest market (LA) down 3 spots fits into that storyline. And having Edmonton and Toronto win five of the past, what, nine?, lotteries screams American bias.

 

[Grimes]

If you had the choice between having the almost-playoff-season you, in fact, experienced this year or drafting in the top three this year; what would you prefer?

We need the momentum locally, and the playoff push may have helped with that. We apparently had a 20% increase in TV viewership and a 1k increase in average attendance over the season. If these things can attract an owner to put more money into our roster, scouting staff and stability to attract UFA's that is ultimately better than the top 3 pick in the long run. Even strong teams can have down years as the roster goes through growing pains or injuries hit the roster, look at Tampa before the emergence of Kucherov. Make the playoffs one year, drafting Drouin the next. Or Cinderella run teams like NJ and Colorado several seasons ago. A top 3 pick can still happen down the road, but the local momentum we gained this season, especially with all of the other sport franchises having down years, should carry over to next season.

 

[checkerdome]

We need the momentum locally, and the playoff push may have helped with that. We apparently had a 20% increase in TV viewership and a 1k increase in average attendance over the season. If these things can attract an owner to put more money into our roster, scouting staff and stability to attract UFA's that is ultimately better than the top 3 pick in the long run. Even strong teams can have down years as the roster goes through growing pains or injuries hit the roster, look at Tampa before the emergence of Kucherov. Make the playoffs one year, drafting Drouin the next. Or Cinderella run teams like NJ and Colorado several seasons ago. A top 3 pick can still happen down the road, but the local momentum we gained this season, especially with all of the other sport franchises having down years, should carry over to next season.

 

[checkerdome]

You appear to have a holistic long term view, as opposed to one that would favor a quick fix/big bang event.

 

[Mosby]

a 1k increase in average attendance over the season.

Phoenix Coyotes yearly attendance at hockeydb.com

Highest average attendance in 10 years in fact.

 

[Grimes]

You appear to have a holistic long term view, as opposed to one that would favor a quick fix/big bang event.

We missed out on the big bang event when EDM knocked us out of the top two spot in 2015. A top 3 pick this year wouldn't solve all of our issues, and I think the AZ fanbase hasn't seen much success with the local sport franchises getting top picks recently. The Suns are still terrible after adding the 1OA last season, Cardinals are about to draft a QB two times in a row with their 1OA, all of the Yotes top 3 picks were traded or didn't pan out. We can't have nice things anyways so our luck is our top 3 pick would have a career ending injury by his second season (Muller) or we would draft completely off the board anyways (Hayton instead of Zadina).

The addition of a top 3 pick without the increase in attendance and viewership may actually make it more attractive for Houston to take on the franchise.

 

[checkerdome]

That's an interesting fact.

Not much point in having a young superstar on your team if he's playing in a building that is attendance-challenged.

 

[Bonsai Tree]

The addition of a top 3 pick without the increase in attendance and viewership may actually make it more attractive for Houston to take on the franchise.

So now we're into the poison pill defense? Want to dilute our stock out even more?

 

[Dirty Old Man]

I personally hate that Chicago got 3OA after their first really down year in a decade. That's some stupid good luck.

Well, two down years; they were actually worse last year. But the sentiment remains.

 

[Bonsai Tree]

That's an interesting fact.

Not much point in having a young superstar on your team if he's playing in a building that is attendance-challenged.

Stupid post.
Chicago was an empty house until they got primo players.
Pittsburgh was an empty house before Mario. I know. I lived there.

 

[Grimes]

Stupid post.
Chicago was an empty house until they got primo players.
Pittsburgh was an empty house before Mario. I know. I lived there.

That's true but are Hughes or Kakko anywhere near the same level of Crosby, Mario, or Kane? I don't think so. I will happily eat crow if I'm wrong, but I don't believe Hughes will even have the same impact as Pettersson without the right supporting cast. Hischer hasn't made NJ a top team, Nolan Patrick hasn't helped Philly make the playoffs. Nor has any of the top three picks from the 2014 draft. Now winning the lotto next year would inject a true top 10 player into the roster, and if you could give me a guaranteed lotto win over barely missing the playoffs in 2020 I will take the lotto win every time.

 

[checkerdome]

Stupid post.
Chicago was an empty house until they got primo players.
Pittsburgh was an empty house before Mario. I know. I lived there.

I think not all attendance-challenged NHL cities are the same.

When you refer to Chicago and Pittsburgh, you're pointing to franchises with large attendances-in-waiting, based on their many years in the NHL.

This would be particularly true for Chicago, which was just waiting for Mr. Wirtz to be replaced and a young player or two to get excited about.

 

[GhostofYotesFan47]

If you had the choice between having the almost-playoff-season you, in fact, experienced this year or drafting in the top three this year; what would you prefer?

The former.

The only way that answer changes is if we spend the next 2+ years almost making the playoffs which means our rebuild failed miserably.

 

[Dirty Old Man]

I think not all attendance-challenged NHL cities are the same.

On the other hand, there is no reason Tampa and Nashville should be successful and Phoenix, Florida, Atlanta not, other than the relative success of the teams on the ice and perhaps the location of the arena.

 

[AZviaNJ]

I have read a comical number of comments today of people thinking last night's lotto was fixed because the top 3 picks went to Chicago and two NY area markets -- i.e., huge American markets. Wow. Yeah because bumping the 2nd biggest market (LA) down 3 spots fits into that storyline. And having Edmonton and Toronto win five of the past, what, nine?, lotteries screams American bias.

I think most of it was joking....but I did live through the Patrick Ewing to the Knicks fix, so there's that

 

[mpir3]

Having said all of that, he’s supposedly a fantastic skater, a physically strong kid. He’s a center, he can make plays and score goals. Also supposed to work pretty hard and be pretty good both ways. He’s headed to Boston College among with Matthew Boldy to meet up with Oliver Wahlstrom. Should be a great time for that trio.

Wahlstrom left school FWIW

 

[Grimes]

Currently my list of players to take at 14 looks like this, in order of preference, in two tiers.

Homerun tier
Caufield - we. need. goals.
Kaliyev - Have to agree with @rt. We need a homerun and he could be that
Harley - Only defenseman I would take with our 1st. Feels like he has Bouchard upside.

Safe tier
Newhook - I feel like I'm only putting him on my list because of the hype. Is he the second coming of Larkin or more like Dvorak?
Tomasino - Late birthdate, a current riser. We could potentially trade back to grab him. He reminds me of Dach without the season long consistency.
McMichael - Can't go wrong with the top point producer on the Knights. Just doesn't seem to do one thing really well.

-

 

[The Feckless Puck]

I think not all attendance-challenged NHL cities are the same.

When you refer to Chicago and Pittsburgh, you're pointing to franchises with large attendances-in-waiting, based on their many years in the NHL.

This would be particularly true for Chicago, which was just waiting for Mr. Wirtz to be replaced and a young player or two to get excited about.

Well, if you believe the folks around here, you're perfectly describing the situation here:

* Waiting for a legitimate owner
* Waiting for a young player or two to get excited about
* Theoretically, a large "attendance-in-waiting" on the east side of town who refuse to drive west but would absolutely go to all the games with a new arena

So tell me again what's so different? Oh yeah, it's that whole "tradition" thing.