Like, NHL-wise? I suppose (though Vegas is pretty damn close) but it’s not like the Coyotes are alone out there, with the Suns in the NBA, the Diamondbacks in the MLB, and the Cardinals in the NFL. Unlike Vegas the Coyotes weren’t first on the scene of a ripe market.
I’m sure the Coyotes could work in that market. If they’d had more stable ownership from the start they could be similar to Nashville. They haven’t for over 20 years and have been an embarrassment on and off the ice for 90% of their existence.
If the Coyotes get their new arena and manage to turn into a success that doesn’t make Bettman’s insistence on keeping them there right. That the Coyotes could make money in the future doesn’t sound all that appealing when they could be making money right now if they’d just moved them.