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Greg Wyshynski, ESPN 6y

Looking ahead for the Coyotes: Lock up Ekman-Larsson, figure out Max Domi's future

NHL, Arizona Coyotes

As each NHL team is eliminated from playoff contention -- either mathematically or by losing in the postseason -- we'll take a look at why its quest for the Stanley Cup fell short in 2017-18, along with three keys to its offseason and a way-too-early prediction on what 2018-19 will hold.


What went wrong

The Coyotes went 30-42-10 in 2016-17, with a points percentage of .427. They entered 2017-18 with reasons to believe they could build on that: GM John Chayka aggressively added center Derek Stepan and goalie Antti Raanta from the Rangers, defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson from Chicago and coach Rick Tocchet from the staff of the Penguins.

And then ... the Coyotes didn't get a regulation win until Nov. 16, and were 6-18-4 by the end of that month. It's never a good look when you're 14 points out of a playoff spot after two months.

For most of the season, the Coyotes were a horror show defensively, and that speaks to one major thing that went wrong: injuries. Raanta missed almost all of October with an injury, and the Coyotes have had six goalies appear for them this season. Defensemen Kevin Connauton, Jakob Chychrun, Luke Schenn and Hjalmarsson have all missed significant time. The Coyotes have shown flashes of defensive competence since the All-Star break, and that has everything to do with having a healthy back end for the first time this season.

Too little, too late. The bad start, combined with some truly puzzling down years from players like Max Domi, meant another lost season in the desert.

Keys to the offseason

1. Win the NHL draft lottery, pick Rasmus Dahlin.

Well, duh. But failing that ...

2. Extend Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

Chayka could fetch an incredible return for OEL if he moved the elite puck-moving defenseman ahead of unrestricted free agency in 2019. But as Chayka told us earlier this year, he's not moving him. "He's a foundational piece. One of our leaders, been an All-Star, the one guy that we have that's an established star," said the wunderkind GM. After July 1, the Coyotes can ante up and try to get their 26-year-old defenseman locked up long-term. But Chayka's right: OEL is the kind of piece you need to win, and re-signing him would be a vital indication of stability for the Coyotes.

3. Figure out Max Domi's future.

It's been a disastrous season for the 23-year-old forward, to the point where his future with the Coyotes is questionable at best. His name surfaced at the trade deadline, but a move around the NHL draft involving the restricted free agent was always more likely. There's been talk about Domi getting moved for a "fresh start," but Chayka has also talked about him being a young player to build around. We'll see.

4. Continue to weaponize their cap space.

The best thing Chayka has going for him, beside an obvious star in rookie Clayton Keller, is the nearly $29 million in cap space that Arizona has entering the summer. This means that the opportunities will again be there for the Coyotes to use the forced parity of the NHL salary cap to leverage more deals like the Hjalmarsson acquisition. The target? How about a veteran center who could bolster a group that contains Stepan, Christian Dvorak, Dylan Strome and Brad Richardson?

Realistic expectation for 2018-19

Let's begin by saying that expectations for next season will be established at the NHL draft and will depend on how immediate and effective the help from that pick ends up being. (As well as any trades that Chayka can transact.)

But separate from that: The Coyotes have finally started showing what they're capable of with their play after the All-Star break. They'll enter next season with that proof of concept and with a solid goaltending battery of Raanta (assuming he re-signs) and Darcy Kuemper. Realistically, the Coyotes should have a much better start and hang tougher in the playoff race next season. But as much as the back end is promising, the Coyotes still need several levels of talent upgrades up front to compete in the West.

Oh, and in case it doesn't go without saying: The off-ice drama needs to end. Owner Andrew Barroway -- credited with last summer's awkward purge of coach Dave Tippett along with longtime Coyotes Shane Doan and Mike Smith -- is reportedly seeking additional investors for the team. And there's still total uncertainty about the Coyotes' next arena home, which means there's still total uncertainty about the Coyotes' stability as a franchise. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

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