THW Arizona Coyotes Substack - Sept. 13, 2023
Welcome to the THW Arizona Coyotes Substack newsletter, with all the latest from our team of Coyotes writers.
In today’s edition, we have Armstrong’s moves paving the way for future success, what the Coyotes need to do before contention, Clayton Keller denying trade rumors, and the Coyotes’ deep goaltending pipeline.
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Coyotes: Armstrong’s Moves Pave Way for Future Success
September 11, 2023 by Cooper Krigbaum
The Arizona Coyotes have been troubled by past management, and former general manager (GM) John Chayka holds much of the blame. Chayka was the youngest GM in the NHL at the time, so there was optimism about what he could accomplish. But after several mishaps with drafting, trades, and free agency, it was clear he was not the right person for the job.
After his resignation, the Coyotes needed someone to turn the ship around. They then hired Bill Armstrong, a grizzled veteran who had been the director of amateur scouting with the St. Louis Blues. “I didn’t come all the way here to the desert to get a tan,” Armstrong said. “I came here to win a championship.” There was an immediate difference when Armstrong came to town; there was hope in the valley of the sun. However, Armstrong still had to push the team back into contention. It was not a small feat, but the 50-year-old tackled it head-on.
Coyotes Have a Deep Goaltending Pipeline
September 11, 2023 by Richard Jelinek
Frustration has been a key word for the Arizona Coyotes over the past four seasons. The team has had losing records and no playoff appearances since the 2019-20 season. However, the team has re-signed general manager Bill Armstrong to a new contract, the young stars are developing and the goaltending depth is solid.
Arizona had lacked regular-season success and they hope the 2023-24 season is one that will turn things around. The goaltending has been good and last season was no different as Czechia netminder Karel Vejmelka rose to the occasion and posted career highs across the board. His backup, Connor Ingram, was also solid in his 27 games between the pipes.
Coyotes Have Mistakes to Clean Up Before Contention
September 9, 2023 by Haynes Evans
The Arizona Coyotes are just a little under two weeks away from kicking off the 2023-24 NHL season with two preseason matchups against the Los Angeles Kings in Melbourne, Australia. This historical feat marks the first ever NHL games to be played in the Southern Hemisphere as part of the NHL’s Global Series.
As training camps kick off for a handful of organizations around the league, general manager Bill Armstrong has remained at the forefront of it all. After addressing the team’s direction at the start of the offseason to build a competitive, well-rounded roster, the Coyotes GM, who signed a contract extension this past week, has stayed true to his word with veteran additions such as Matt Dumba, Jason Zucker, Nick Bjugstad, Troy Stecher, Alex Kerfoot, and Travis Dermott, along with some youthfulness in Sean Durzi, Dylan Guenther, and Logan Cooley.
Coyotes’ Keller Laughs Off Trade Request, Maple Leafs Rumors
September 12, 2023 by Jim Parsons
Trade rumors are an ever-present facet of the sports world and at this time of the year, the NHL is no exception. When star players are mentioned in these speculations, it often ignites a flurry of discussions among fans, analysts, and even the players themselves. Most rumors tend to be wildly inaccurate, but there can be enough chatter that the players in question are actually asked about it.
One such rumor involving Arizona Coyotes’ standout Clayton Keller recently captured the attention of an Arizona-based podcast. Asking in a jovial way and likely knowing the answer they were going to get, the interviewer, Steve Peters, managed to get Keller to open up a bit about his conversations with the Coyotes. In particular, he wanted to know if the trade rumors linking him to the Toronto Maple Leafs were true. Keller found the speculation rather funny.