Kachina Corner Weekly Thoughts: Name Clayton Keller Captain ASAP

Inside the Coyotes' most successful home stretch of the season, Tucson Roadrunners creating a winning culture, and why Keller should be named captain

Welcome to this week’s written piece of Kachina Corner, a premium article for The Hockey Writers Substack. Each week, I will share my thoughts and observations of the Arizona Coyotes on and off the ice. 

This week’s edition features a look at the start of the Coyotes’ seven-game homestretch and how the Coyotes have sparked some hope for next season. We’ll also talk about how Clayton Keller deserves the captaincy ASAP. Finally, the Tucson Roadrunners clinched a spot in the AHL playoffs. We’ll unpack how they’ve taken steps in their development as a team over the past year. Let's get into the thoughts.

One of the Best Home Stretches of the Season

We might only be four games into the Coyotes’ current home stretch but it might already be one of the best ones of the season. The team unlike last season has struggled at home, nearly at a .500 record currently. Most of their home streaks have been a mixed bag with a couple of exceptions. Their best home run was probably in December where they won three straight but they played the San Jose Sharks, Buffalo Sabres, and the Ottawa Senators who have all struggled this season.

On this long home stretch currently, the Coyotes are 3-1. They’ve beaten the Seattle Kraken, Columbus Blue Jackets, and the Nashville Predators. They also put up a good fight against the Dallas Stars. While the Jackets are one of the worst teams in the league, the Kraken are still technically in the mix to make the playoffs despite at the time being on a long losing streak. The Predators were the league’s hottest team thanks to an 18-game point streak while the Stars are near the top of the league.