2007-2008 Season Preview - Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes
Notable moves and changes: Signed G Alex Auld (had been with the Florida Panthers), acquired C Kevyn Adams from the Chicago Blackhawks for F Radim Vrbata, signed G David Aebischer (had been with the Montreal Canadiens).
Starting goalie: Likely Aebischer, barring a stunning performance by Auld.
Summary of last year: The Coyotes had the dubious honor of having the worst record in the league for the second half of the season (yes, even worse than the Flyers). The Coyotes haven’t seen a hint of the playoffs in 4 years.
Prediction for this year: Do you call for the head of your head coach if he’s part owner of the team? How about if he’s Wayne Gretzky? The woes of this team are not entirely Gretzky’s fault, but this team is in a death spiral and help does not appear to be on the way. Both goalies signed in the off-season have a lot to prove, and on most teams wouldn’t be considered starters. New additions Mike York and Kevyn Adams need to step up their games considerably to make a difference, the young guys like Bill Thomas and Tomas Surovy need to continue to grow and contribute while veterans like Shane Doan and Steven Reinprecht need to return to form. The Coyotes didn’t even address their defensive woes — top d-man Ed Jovanovski played only 54 games last season and Nick Boyton and Derek Morris did not step up to fill in the gap. Not only are the playoffs unlikely, the Coyotes will struggle to fight their way out of the basement of the Pacific Division.
Phoenix Coyotes, Alex Auld, Florida Panthers, Kevyn Adams, Chicago Blackhawks, Radim Vrbata, David Aebischer, Montreal Canadiens, Wayne Gretzky, Mike York, Bill Thomas, Tomas Surovy, Shane Doan, Steven Reinprecht, Ed Jovanovski, Nick Boyton, Derek Morris, Pacific Division
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