The Arizona Coyotes have made it clear that they are rebuilding, and have already taken steps towards that process by trading away Oliver Ekman Larsson and Darcy Kuemper, as well as adding numerous draft picks over the next three seasons for taking on bad contracts.
As good a job as the Coyotes have done so far, they are far from done, and I suspect they will be making a few more trades before the season. It will be a long process, but in time, the Coyotes could become a contending time in three years.
This is what the Arizona Coyotes should do to become a contending team in three years.
Before the season, the Arizona Coyotes make a few major trades:
Arizona Coyotes trade Phil Kessel to the Colorado Avalanche for JT Compher, Valeri Nishushkin, and a 2023 2nd round pick. If Kessel re-signs with the Avalanche, the Coyotes get Colorado's 2024 1st round pick.
This is a win-win trade for both teams; the Avalanche get Phil Kessel to play alongside Nazem Kadri on the second line, while the Coyotes get JT Comper and Valeri Nichushkin, two solid role players, and a 2nd round pick.
Arizona Coyotes also trade Clayton Keller to the Ottawa Senators for Ridly Greig, Logan Brown, and a 2023 1st round pick.
Keller joins a very good young core on the Senators, who have quietly assembled a very competitive team; For Arizona, they get two really good prospects and a 1st round pick.
The Coyotes also trade Christian Dvorak to the Boston Bruins for Jake DeBrusk, Jack Studnicka, 2023 2nd rd pick.
The Bruins desperately need a second-line center, and Dvorak seems like a perfect pit on the B's second line; on the other side of the trade, the Coyotes get Jake DeBrusk, a top 9 forward, Jack Studnicka, a solid prospect, and a 2nd round pick.
Nick Schmaltz is traded to the Montreal Canadiens for Jonathan Drouin.
This is a one-for-one trade that makes sense for both teams; the Canadiens need a center more than they need Drouin, while the Coyotes could really use a talented player like Drouin in the lineup.
At the trade deadline, the Coyotes make two trades
Arizona Coyotes trade Lawson Crouse, Johan Larsson to the Florida Panthers for Mason Marchment, Eetu Luostarainen, 2023 3rd rd pick. If the Panthers make the 2nd round, the 3rd round pick becomes a 2nd round pick.
The Panthers add Crouse and Larsson to bolster their roster for the playoffs; while Coyotes get Mason Marchment, who replaces Crouse in the lineup, a prospect, and a conditional pick.
The Coyotes also trade Ilya Lybushkin, Ryan Dzingel to the Chicago Blackhawks for Brett Connolly, 1st rd pick 2023.
The Blackhawks bolster the lineup for a playoff run adding Lybushkin and Dzingel, while also getting rid of Brett Connolly's Contract; on the other hand, the Coyotes get a 1st round pick for players on expiring contracts and for eating Connolly's contract.
The Arizona Coyotes end up with the worst record in the NHL, and but slide to the 2nd pick in the draft.
At the 2022 draft, the Arizona Coyotes trade picks 33, 3rd rd pick 2023 to the Carolina Hurricanes for pick 22.
2022 Draft
2-Matthew Savoie
22-Danila Yurov
33-Cruz Lucius
37-Lian Bichsel
43-Alexander Suzdalev
47-Tristan Luneau
57-Ludwig Persson
65-Simon Forsmark
97-Jonathan Lekkerimaki
129-Hugo Havelid
Arizona Coyotes re-sign a few players:
Jake DeBrusk-2yrs/3.75M per
Antoine Roussel-3yrs/3M per
Christian Fischer-3yr/1.75M per
Josef Korenar-2yrs/1.5M per
Barrett Hayton-2yrs/1.2M per
Mason Marchment-2yr/1M per
Eetu Luostarainen-2yrs/1M per
Arizona Coyotes re-sign all other RFAs.
The Coyotes signed a few players in free agency:
Frank Vatrano-3yrs/3.5M per
Robby Fabbri-2yrs/3M per
Joshua Brown-3yrs/2.5M per
Mark Borowiecki-2yrs/1.8M per
Phil Kessel did not re-sign with Colorado, so the Coyotes won't get Colorado's 2024 1st round pick.
Before the season, the Coyotes make a trade
Arizona Coyotes acquire Cayden Primeau from the Montreal Canadiens for the 2024 4th round pick.
The Coyotes get prospect goalie, Cayden Primeau from Montreal; it's a win for the Coyotes and Primeau because the Coyotes need a goalie of the future, while Primeau gets a chance to compete for the starting job.
Cayden Primeau is re-signed to a 2yr deal worth 1.5 million per season
At the trade deadline, two trades are made:
Arizona Coyotes trade Jonathan Drouin to the LA Kings for Jaret Anderson Dolan, Akil Thomas, 2024 3rd round pick. If Drouin re-signs with the Kings, the Coyotes get an additional 2nd round pick.
Drouin will be a free agent after the season, so the Coyotes would be smart to trade him for something rather than losing him for nothing.
The Coyotes also trade Valeri Nichushkin, Shayne Gostisbehere to the New Jersey Devils for Jonas Siegenthaler, 2023 3rd round pick. The Coyotes retain 50% of Gostisbehere's contract.
This is a fantastic trade for the Coyotes to get such a good return for two pending UFAs; for the Devils, both Gostisbehere and Nichushkin can be solid role players on a playoff team.
The Arizona Coyotes finish the 2022-23 season with the 6th worst record in the league, but they have lottery luck and land the 1st pick in the draft.
Before the draft, two huge trades are made:
Arizona Coyotes trade Jake DeBrusk + picks 63, 74 in the 2023 draft to the New York Islanders for Anthony Beauvillier, Josh Bailey.
The Coyotes take a huge step forward to being a contender by acquiring Anthony Beauvillier and Josh Bailey from a cap-strapped Islanders team.
The Coyotes also acquire Vladislav Gavrikov, 2nd rd pick '24 from the Columbus Blue Jackets for JT Compher, Jonas Siegenthaler, pick 70.
The Coyotes get Gavrikov for Compher and Siegenthaler, and the Coyotes also swap their 3rd round pick in 2023 for a 2nd in 2024.
At the 2023 draft, Arizona trade picks 11, 18, 38, 57, 59 to the Seattle Kraken for pick 4.
2023 Draft
1-Connor Bedard
4-Brayden Yager
Arizona Coyotes re-sign a few players:
Vladislav Gavrikov-2yrs/3.5M per
Logan Brown-3yrs/3M per
Cameron Crotty-2yrs/950k per
Akil Thomas-2yrs/900k per
Arizona Coyotes re-sign all other RFAs.
Jonathan Drouin did not re-sign with the Kings, so the Coyotes don't get LA's 2nd round pick in 2024.
The Arizona Coyotes make major progress during the 2023-24 season and have a much better record, however, they still miss the playoffs. Arizona ends up with the 13th pick in the draft.
Before the 2024 draft, one major trade is made:
Arizona Coyotes trade Jakub Chychurun, Barrett Hayton, pick 13 to the Colorado Avalanche for Bowen Byram.
This is a win-win trade for both teams because the Coyotes get their cornerstone defenseman in Byram, while the Avalanche get a top 4 defenseman in Jakub Chychurun, a top 6 forward in Barrett Hayton, and a 1st round pick.
Arizona Coyotes re-sign a few players:
Victor Soderstrom-5yrs/4.25M per
Cayden Primeau-3yrs/3.25M per
Josef Korenar-3yrs/2.5M per
Ridley Greig-2yrs/1.5M per
Arizona Coyotes re-sign all other RFAs.
By the 2024-25 season, the Arizona Coyotes have assembled a young and scary team.
2024-25 Arizona Coyotes
R.Greig-C.Bedard-Cr.Lucius
A.Beauvillier-M.Savoie-J.Bailey
F.Vatrano-L.Brown-A.Thomas
A.Roussel-J.Anderson Dolan-Ch.Fischer
B.Byram-C.Crotty
V.Gavrikov-V.Soderstrom
S.Forsmark-J.Brown
C.Primeau
J.Korenar
Top Prospects: B.Yager, A.Suzdalev, L.Bichel, T.Luneau, L.Persson, J.Lekkerimaki, H.Havelid
Not only are the Coyotes on the cusp of being a contending team, but they will be for many more years.
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