Phoenix Coyotes Hockey on AZ Vibe

GLENDALE – Over the past week, the Phoenix Coyotes began filling in the holes in their lineup due to players who left via free agency, who had their contracts bought out, or signed via free agency. Now I’m quite sure that the Coyotes aren’t done with filling the holes in their roster yet. Let’s take a look at a summary of the what the Coyotes did this past week to fill their roster spots:

(Cap numbers courtesy of Capgeek.com)

F – Ray Whitney – 2 year/$6 million dollar contract ($3 million a year) – Acquired Via Free Agency – I spent some considerable time looking over Whitney’s play over the past couple of years (Via NHL Gamecenter) to see what exactly he brings to the table and how it can help the Phoenix Coyotes. Simply put, Ray Whitney is the complete offensive package. He has incredible vision of the ice, can make plays (and score goals) out of nothing, play the point, has a great shot, and isn’t afraid to go to the net. Add to that his playoff and Stanley Cup experience (Whitney won the 2006 Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes defeating the Edmonton Oilers in seven games) and you have one hell of a signing for the Coyotes.

D – Derek Morris – 4 Year/$11 million dollar contract ($2.75 million a year) – Re-signed via Free Agency
D – Sami Lepisto – 1 Year/$800,000 contract – Re-signed as a restricted free agent

Two solid signings to help shore up the Coyotes defensive depth. The loss of Zbynek Michalek to the Penguins hurts the overall depth of the Coyotes but it’s not something that can be overcome via free agency. There’s still time to shore up the defensive depth of the Coyotes but as of now, the Coyotes are in better shape than people think.

G – Al Montoya – 1 Year/$750,000 contract – Re-Signed – It’s uncertain where Montoya fits in Coyotes GM Don Maloney’s master plan as the Coyotes have many goalies in their system at this moment in time. It’s looking more and more like Montoya and Matt Climie (below) will be the goaltending tandem in San Antonio to start the season. However, when it comes to the big picture, it’s uncertain if Montoya is being groomed for the Coyotes down the road or if he’s just a depth signing for those ‘just in case’ scenarios.

C – Andrew Ebbett – 1 Year/$500,000 Contract – Signed via free agency – This looks more like a 3rd or 4th line depth signing at center for the Coyotes as Ebbett doesn’t really have the tools to be a top 6 player in the NHL. He’s fast and has the tools to be successful but up to this point in his career, he hasn’t shown it in the NHL. Granted, Ebbett did spend time last season injured first with a concussion and then with a finger injury.

D – Nolan Yonkman – 1 Year/$550,000 contract – Could be a darkhorse to make the Coyotes roster this season. Having signed with the Coyotes because they offered more money and opportunity than the Nashville Predators (who reportedly wanted to keep him to help younger players develop) Yonkman will have the opportunity to not only help the other players in San Antonio to develop into NHL players but may have the opportunity to battle for a bottom 3 defensive spot on the Coyotes roster. Yonkman is a great character signing based on the community work he did with the Milwaukee Admirals (Nashville Predators AHL affiliate).

RW – Mathieu Beaudoin -1 year/$500,000 contract
D – Garrett Stafford – 2 year/$1.2 million dollar contract ($600,000 per year)
G – Matt Climie – 1 year/$750,000 contract

These three players are lumped together as they are casualties of the Dallas Stars financial and organizational problems. These three players were key components of the Stars AHL affiliate Texas Stars run to the Calder Cup finals this past season. Given their ages (26, 30, and 27 respectively) these players look to be more of an overall organizational depth signing for the Coyotes than anything. Beaudoin and Stafford might get the opportunity to battle for one of the Coyotes roster spots this season. However, they chances are they all will probably be sent to San Antonio to help out what was one of the worst teams in the AHL last season.

PHOENIX – The Phoenix Coyotes were pretty busy Monday in preparations for the start of Free Agency on July 1st by waiving one player and trading a soon to be Restricted Free Agent.

The Phoenix Coyotes have waived ineffective Center Petteri Nokelainen and penalty prone defenseman Jim Vandermeer Monday. At this time of year, when players are waived it usually means that if these players are not picked up off the waiver wire, their contracts will more than likely be bought out.

If both players get bought out, the Coyotes are on the proverbial hook for the following amounts (these amounts will count against the Phoenix Coyotes Salary Cap):

Petteri Nokelainen will be paid approximately $317,000 over 2 years.
Jim Vandermeer be paid approximately $1,533,000 over 1 year.

If both players are indeed bought out, they will become unrestricted free agents and can negotiate with any team they desire.

The other bit of news is that Coyotes forward Daniel Winnik was traded Monday to the Colorado Avalanche in return for a 2010 fourth round draft pick. Daniel Winnik’s contract will expire on July 1st making him a restricted free agent with the Colorado Avalanche.

The Phoenix Coyotes have re-signed veteran forward Taylor Pyatt to a Two year two million dollar contract. The contract will pay Pyatt 800,000 in the first season and ($1.2 million dollars the next season) Last season with the Coyotes Pyatt (also his first with the club), registered 23 points (12 goals and 11 assists) and 39 penalty minutes with the club along with two points in their post season series with the Detroit Red Wings (1 goal and 1 assist). In two previous seasons with the Vancouver Canucks Pyatt registered 37 points per season.

As for the signing and the amount of money in the contract?

This is a good deal for both Pyatt and the Coyotes. This season is going to be a deciding factor for Taylor Pyatt as fans are going to see which direction he’s going to take with his NHL career. Will his career go up or down in the scoring department? As seen last season, Pyatt will be given the opportunity to show what he’s got on the ice. Pyatt has the skills to fill just about every role on the Coyotes except for goaltender. If he wants to be a scoring forward, he has the skills to do it. If he wants to be a checking force on the ice, he’s got the skills to do it.

Coyotes GM Don Maloney signed Pyatt to a great deal as the Coyotes have got a solid character player with a potential that is practically limitless.

Wow there’s a TON of Coyotes and NHL news that’s been going on recently, let’s get to it!

Coyotes massage therapist passes

Our sincerest condolences to the family of Jukka Mieminen who was the long-time trainer of the Phoenix Coyotes. From what I have been reading in the news he was a valued and loved member of the Phoenix Coyotes family.

Coyotes at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft

We’re working on a Draft article which should be out in a few days. Until then here’s a reminder for you all….the Coyotes have the following picks in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft in Los Angeles – Two firsts, a second round pick, a fourth round pick and a fifth round pick.

The first round of the 2010 NHL Draft will be shown live on Versus/TSN/RDS on Friday June 25th from 4:00 PM to 7:30 PM. The Second through seventh round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft will be shown live on the NHL Network on Saturday June 26th starting at 10 AM.

Coyotes to host NHL Draft Party

Speaking of the 2010 Entry Draft, once again the Coyotes will be hosting a NHL Draft Viewing party at Santisi Brothers Pizzeria and Sports Grill. (2710 West Bell Road – Phoenix) The fun will take place on June 25th from 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM.

Coyotes announce 2010-2011 Pre-Season Schedule

The Coyotes have released their 2010-2011 Pre-Season Schedule. As you can note below, there are only two pre-season games before the Coyotes head off to Europe to kick off the season.

September 21, 2010 Anaheim Ducks Honda Center 7:00 p.m.
September 23, 2010 *Los Angeles Kings Jobing.com Arena 7:00 p.m.
September 23, 2010 *Los Angeles Kings STAPLES Center 7:30 p.m.
September 25, 2010 *San Jose Sharks Jobing.com Arena 7:00 p.m.
September 25, 2010 *San Jose Sharks HP Pavilion 7:30 p.m.
September 28, 2010 Calgary Flames Pengrowth Saddledome 7:00 p.m.
September 29, 2010 Edmonton Oilers Rexall Place 7:00 p.m.
October, 6, 2010 Dinamo Riga (KHL) Arena Riga (Latvia) TBD

The Coyotes 2010-2011 regular season schedule will be released on June 22nd.

NHL Network to re-broadcast Stanley Cup Finals

The NHL Network will be dedicating a full day to re-broadcasting the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals on June 19th. All six games will be re-broadcast for fans to re-capture the magic of the Philadelphia Flyers and Chicago Blackhawks battle for Lord Stanley’s cup. The programming will include the Blackhawks Stanley Cup Parade at 7:00 PM Pacific Time.

Here’s the full programming schedule for June 19th (All times below Eastern):
9:00 a.m. 2010 Stanley Cup Final Game 1
11:00 a.m. 2010 Stanley Cup Final Game 2
1:00 p.m. 2010 Stanley Cup Final Game 3
3:00 p.m. 2010 Stanley Cup Final Game 4
5:00 p.m. 2010 Stanley Cup Final Game 5
7:00 p.m. 2010 Stanley Cup Final Game 6
9:00 p.m. NHL On The Fly Awards Preview
10:00 p.m. Blackhawks Stanley Cup Parade

2010 Hockey Hall of Fame Class to be announced Tuesday

The NHL and the Hockey Hall of Fame have called a press conference on June 22nd where they will announce the Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2010 inductees. Keep an eye on our AZ Vibe Sports Twitter account that afternoon for the announcements as they happen.

Coyotes connected players invited to USA Hockey’s National Junior Evaluation Camp

Coyotes 2009 second round draft pick, Chris Brown has been invited to USA Hockey’s National Junior Evaluation Camp which will take place in Lake Placid, New York from July 30th to August 7th.

Also invited to the Evaluation Camp is the son of Coyotes Assistant Coach Ulf Sammuelsson, Philip who hails from Scottsdale.

The Evaluation Camp serves as a player audition for the US Junior National Team that will take part in the 2011 World Junior Championship in Buffalo, New York from December 26th 2010 to January 5th 2011.

http://www.usahockey.com/Template_Usahockey.aspx?NAV=TU_04_01_06&ID=288572

Coyotes hire new scout

The Coyotes have brought Jeff Twohey as an amateur scout. Twohey spent the last 30 years with the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Seventeen of those 30 years Twohey has served as the Petes General Manager.

Bissonnette on Twitter

For those of you Coyotes fans that use Twitter, Coyotes forward Paul Bissonnette has joined the Twitterverse!

Follow along at:

http://twitter.com/PaulBizNasty

Coyotes players re-up with new contracts

- The Coyotes have re-signed the following players:
D – David Schlemko – Terms not disclosed
LW – Ryan Hollweg – Terms not disclosed
LW – Scottie Upshall – One year Deal – Amount of contract not disclosed
D – Adrian Aucoin – Two Year Deal – Amount of contract not disclosed

The Phoenix Coyotes announced yesterday that they have re-signed forward Scottie Upshall to a one year deal. Per club policy, the terms of the deal were not disclosed. (When the terms of the deal are made public, we will let you know.)

Last season, Upshall took a major step forward with his game as he flourished in Coach Dave Tippett’s system with disciplined, hard nosed hockey. His passion for playing the game at very high levels sometimes cost Upshall at the start of the season with penalties and poor play. However, as the season progressed, Upshall began to transform his game into that of a disciplined high energy scoring forward. With 32 points in only 49 games, Coyotes fans saw a glimpse of his potential last season until he suffered a season ending ACL tear in January.

Without his knee injury, Upshall’s re-signing would practically be a formality in the off season. However, with his knee injury along with approximately six months of rehabilitation time and the uncertainty of his knee being able to withstand the rigors of an NHL season, you can’t blame the Coyotes for only offering a one year deal.

If Scottie Upshall can build upon his performance last season and stay healthy, he just might be wearing Coyotes colors for years to come.

The Phoenix Coyotes announced today that they have signed 2009 First Round Draft Pick Oliver Ekman-Larsson to an entry level contract. I’m personally expecting the 18 year old defenseman to be invited to training camp this fall.

This is great news for the Coyotes who seem to have a bonified defenseman to build a franchise around. Having watched him in prospects camp this past summer Ekman-Larsson has the tools to be a great defenseman but lacks the size to compete at the NHL level just yet.

Coyotes fans are looking forward to seeing him play at the earliest possible moment. However, it’s up to the Coyotes to take great care to ensure that his development proceeds in the right manner.

The Coyotes announced today that they have traded the rights to 2008 2nd round draft pick Jared Staal to the Carolina Hurricanes for a 5th round draft pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

With this deal, the Coyotes now have five picks in the 2010 NHL Entry draft in Los Angeles on June 25th-26th.

*UPDATE* – 9:00 AM AZ Time

The Hurricanes have just signed Jared Staal to a Three Year entry level contract.

If you follow us on Twitter you probably have already heard about this contest. If you don’t follow us on twitter, you really should.

Anyways, what we’re going to give away over the next couple of weeks are signed Coyotes memorabilia which include:

1) A signed Martin Hanzal hat
2) A signed Kyle Turris Photo

Both items come with certificates of authenticity directly from the Phoenix Coyotes.

So here’s how we’re going to do the contest….

The first giveaway will be the signed Kyle Turris Photo and will be given away on our Twitter account.

Within the next week I’m going to send a tweet that will have a link to the question.

This contest will be a little different than all the others. What you’re going to have to do is answer a question and that question will be the first part of an AZ Vibe domain e-mail address you will send your contest entry to.

Here’s a sample question….

Q. Who is the Captain of the Phoenix Coyotes?

Now you would take the answer to the question (which is Shane Doan) and that will be the first part of the e-mail address you would send your contest entry to.

The email address would look like this:

shanedoan@azvibe.com

(don’t send e-mail addresses here as it’s not a real address)

Prizes will be drawn at random and we will send them free of charge within the US and Canada. Foreign addresses will have to pay their own shipping and handling.

If you have any questions, please post them as comments to this post.

Save the Coyotes Coalition Tailgating before the Coyotes/Oilers game

The Save the Coyotes Coalition will be tailgating before the Coyotes/Oilers game this Saturday. The Fun starts at 2 PM in Lot J. Rumors of street hockey and tons of fun cannot be confirmed at this time. Guess you’ll have to find out and see for yourselves!

Fan Appreciation night is April 7th

Coyotes fans will be happy to know that the yearly tradition that is Fan Appreciation night will take place on April 7th before the Coyotes/Predators game.  All fans in attendance will be treated to raffles as well as receiving a scratch card that will tell them if they have won a prize.

Prizes include:

- A trip for two to the Coyotes first road playoff game this season
- A trip for two to the NHL Awards in Las Vegas in June
- A pair of glass seats to the first Coyotes first home playoff game this postseason
- Furniture from the Furniture Ranch
- A two night stay at the Wigwam Golf Resort
- A Playstation 3 console

…and much, much more!

“Fan Appreciation Night is always a great evening for Coyotes fans,” said Coyotes President Doug Moss. “But what makes this year’s even more special is that our fans have been through a lot during the past year and never wavered in their dedication to the team.”

Coyotes sign Paul Bissonnette to a two year deal

The Coyotes have re-signed forward Paul Bissonnette to a two year deal.  Terms of the deal were not disclosed.  Even though he saw limited action this season, he did his job whenever asked and did it very well.

Bissonnette, who made $500,000 this season, was set to become an arbitration eligible restricted free agent at the end of the season.

Coyotes sign Chris Summers to entry level contract

The Phoenix Coyotes have signed former University of Michigan defenseman Chris Summers to an entry level contract.  Terms of the deal were not announced.

Summers was the Coyotes first round pick in the 2006 entry draft.  The 22 year old Summers will report to the San Antonio Rampage for the remainder of their season.

Arrowhead Grill offering Coyotes Fans free steak before every playoff game

Heather McWhorter of the ‘Save the Coyotes’ collation posted this via her twitter account the other day.  The Arrowhead Grill is offering it’s signature steak, the Delmonico, on every playoff game day.  All fans have to do is sign up for the Arrowhead Grill’s eClub at http://www.arrowheadgrill.com.  For fans who sign up, they can come in and get a free Delmonico steak for each Delmonico steak they buy ($26.95 value).

Power lunch with Doug Moss and Don Maloney

Here’s the info straight from the Save the Coyotes Coalition website:

The Glendale Chamber of Commerce is hosting a power lunch presention with Doug Moss and Don Maloney on April 6th from 11AM to 1PM at Fleming’s Steak House – 9712 W. Northern Ave. The cost is $30 per person or tables of six for $180. If you are interested in attending, call the Chamber at 623-937-4754.

The Globe and Mail gets punked by the Ice Edge Holdings group

Ice Edge Holdings COO Daryl Jones told the Globe and Mail yesterday that they were dropping their bid to purchase the Coyotes to purchase Manchester United.  The Globe and Mail fell for the prank hook, line, and sinker.

Kudos to the Ice Edge Holdings group.

Link to an article about the story.

Got some quick news to get out to you all.

Coyotes Accepting Deposits for the 2010-2011 season

It was announced that the Phoenix Coyotes are accepting deposits for 2010-2011 season tickets.  To reserve your seats for next season you can put down as little as a $100 refundable deposit.  Call 480-563-7825 to reserve your seats.  If you put at least $100 down for seats next season you will also have priority purchasing for playoff tickets for this season over the general public.  Playoff tickets go on sale for the General Public on March 27th at 10 AM at all Ticketmaster outlets.

Coyotes sign Lunden to an entry level contract

The Phoenix Coyotes have signed former Univeristy Alaska-Anchorage player Josh Lunden to an entry level contract.  Lunden is a 6’2″202 lb forward who scored 8 goals 9 assists (for 17 points).

Lunden will report immediately to the San Antonio Rampage.

NHL Network Free Preview Week March 20-27

The NHL announced that they are having a free preview week of the NHL Network for the coming week (on right now).

Coyotes Radio Coverage Change for today’s Dallas Game

Tonight’s Coyotes/Dallas game can be heard on KFNN 1510.

Coyotes Prospect Michael Stone honored by the WHL

The WHL has named Coyotes prospect was named to the WHL’s Eastern Conference First All-Star Team and was also selected as the Eastern Conference Finalist for the WHL Defenseman of the Year Award.  The 19 year Stone played for the Calgary Hitmen where he notched career high stats in Goals and points (21 goals and 44 assists for 65 points).

The title of this article is a quote from a conference call Phoenix Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney had with the media yesterday afternoon.  This conference call followed a HUGE day at the trade deadline for the Phoenix Coyotes. Maloney made a statement to the Coyotes players, the fans and the NHL that the Coyotes goal is to not only make the post season but do some MAJOR damage in the process.  He also sent a message to the players that with the acquisition of new players, they are going to have to fight for ice time in Coach Dave Tippett’s system.  It seemed that some of the players had become complacent and the new players were brought in to challenge the current Coyotes roster to play up to their abilities.

It should be interesting to note that Maloney wanted Coyotes fans to note the following during the press conference:

“We wanted to make a statement to our fanbase that we’re not fooling around we’re serious. We’ve given ourselves a chance to be a better team.”

Here’s a break down of the deals with analysis and some quotes from Coyotes GM Don Maloney:

• Coyotes acquire Boston Defenseman Derek Morris from Boston for a conditional fourth round pick

This was a salary dump by the Bruins as they were looking to acquire a scoring forward before the trade deadline. Good to have Morris Back!

Don Maloney had this to say about the Morris deal:

“Morris is a tremendous addition in the sense of what was out on the marketplace…(the deal) was a home run for us”

“Derek is a well rounded player has a tremendous shot..(he) makes a great first pass he’s got a hard shot”

• Coyotes acquire Wojtek Wolski for Kevin Porter and Peter Mueller

Problem player for problem player is what this deal boils down to.  It has the potential to be a great trade as it looks like both Mueller and Wolski needed a change of scenery.

According to the Denver Post:

- Wolski has 2 goals in last 25 games. One was an empty netter.
- 4 PP goals in his last 150 games.
- Wolski has been in the doghouse of every coach dating back to Quenneville and Granato

According to the Denver Post, Wolski is “a Jeff George-type of hockey player. He puts up good numbers, but never in the clutch and never in the tough areas.”

Coyotes GM Don Maloney had this to say about Wolski:

The Wolski deal “…was the one name that made a tremendous amount of sense for us. Quite frankly he’s a player we can stick into our lineup tomorrow night, he’s a proven scorer in this league. He’s still young, still maturing, still evolving. In my mind, you can put 50 points in a bad year into the books with Wojtek. And I think there’s tremendous upside there.”

• Coyotes acquire Mathieu Schneider for Sean Zimmerman and a conditional 6th round draft pick

According to Jason Botchford of the Province (Vancouver B.C.), the conditional pick is dependent on Schneider clearing waivers.

This is a pretty bad deal for the Coyotes as they have someone who has been a locker room cancer in Vancouver.  Schneider burned his bridges with the team so badly, that NO ONE in the Canucks organization, from the top on down, wanted him back this season.

Here’s an article I wrote about Schneider from earlier this season that breaks down the deal:

http://bit.ly/4PbpyQ

Schneider has a lot to prove if he clears waivers and makes it to the Coyotes starting lineup.

Coyotes GM Don Maloney had this to say about the Schneider deal:

“Mathieu Schneider is a wild card. He hasn’t played much this year, but that might be a good thing.”

“(Schneider) can shoot a puck, he finds a way to get pucks on the net on the power play. That was a big concern.

• Toronto Trades Lee Stempniak to the Coyotes for defenseman Matt Jones and 2010 4th and 7th Round picks

Stempinak brings a 30 point campaign (14 goals and 16 assists) to the Coyotes. Averaging around 17 to 19 minutes a night he’s been marginally average on a Maple Leafs team that lacks chemistry. In 2006 he tallied 27 goals and 25 assists for 52 points but hasn’t been able to match this point production ever since.  The Coyotes look to him for immediate offensive help, especially on their anemic Power Play unit.

• Phoenix trades Chad Kolarik to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Alex Picard

Forward Alex Picard is a former first round draft pick in 2004 (#8 overall) that the Blue Jackets have pretty much given up on. Given how the Jacket’s screwed up Gilbert Bule’s (another Blue Jackets first round draft pick) development I’m not going to jump to any conclusions just yet.  The Coyotes have assigned Picard to the San Antonio Rampage for the remainder of the season.

Hockey’s Future has a GREAT Breakdown of Kolarik as a player:

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/alex-picard

• Phoenix sends D Anders Eriksson to the New York Rangers for goaltender Mikka Wiikman and a 2011 7th round draft pick

Highway Robbery. That is the only way to explain this deal over a player that Don Maloney signed from free agency for a player that was the #1 goalie on the Rangers AHL farm club. In 2007-2008 he had a 21-18-4 record with a 2.70 GAA over 43 games for the Hartford Wolfpack, the Rangers AHL affiliate. This season he saw limited action with the Wolfpack this season starting only seven games with a 2-4-0 record and a 4.20 GAA. Wiikman also spent time with the ECHL Charlotte Checkers playing 17 games with a 9-3-1 record and a 2.84 GAA.

It seems that since an injury earlier this season, Wiikman’s value with the Rangers has slipped and Matt Zaba has moved up on the organizational depth chart. Wiikman seems to have the skills and its looking more and more like a change of scenery to a Coyotes team that lacks organizational depth is a perfect fit.

This is the second of the rangers top prospects that General Manager Don Maloney stole from the rangers.

Here’s a scouting report of Wiikman:

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/miika_wiikman

• Phoenix acquires RW Petteri Nokelainen for a 6th round draft pick

Petteri Nokelainen, a Finland product, was drafted in the first round of the 2004 NHL entry draft (16th overall).  After spending the better part of the 2005-2006 season on the IR, Nokelainen has spent only three full seasons in the league playing 3rd and 4th line minutes. According to Maloney, Nokelainen was brought in for depth and to challenge the 3rd and fourth line players for ice time.