SB Nation - Stefan Meyer

Game Recap: Kings v. Coyotes SuperSeries

RudyKelly — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:46:18 -0000

More photos » by Chris Carlson - AP

Man, Opie's really pissed that someone killed his wife.

-Staples had maybe 8,000 people there for their preseason game against the Coyotes; Peter Mueller remarked, "Hey, this is just like playing at home!"

-Above you'll see young Kevin Westgarth fighting ~~Grendel~~ Mitch Fritz. It was a spirited contest but I think Fritz won the fight because Westgarth tried to block every one of Fritz' punches with his face. Fun fact: Richard Clune got into a fight at the same time as Westgarth and beat the piss out of Stefan Meyer. A Kings goon that I actually like? It may just happen.

-The Kings' top line of Justin Williams-Anze Kopitar-Ryan Smyth played about 20 minutes of the game. Justin Williams had a really nice individual effort that led to a goal, toe-dragging around a sliding Coyote and then getting his own rebound to bury the goal. Ryan Smyth drew a penalty (he just has one of those faces you want to smash) and screened the goaltender on 2 Kings' goals. Kopitar just kind of skated around, he didn't do much.

-Ted Purcell was probably the Kings' best forward on the night, tallying a goal and an assist and making several nice plays to create opportunities, especially on the power play. It'll be interesting to see what happens to him, as he plays the same position on the power play that Kopitar and Frolov usually occupy (that half-wall on the left side). He also won a few good corner battles and looked noticeably bigger than he used to. He's going to make the team, I am almost 100% sure.

-Andrei Loktionov and Oscar Moller were Purcell's linemates and both looked pretty much the same: good skaters, a few nice plays, but very small and easily pushed around. The Kings should put them both in Manchester and let them grow for a year.

-Brayden Schenn had a few nice hits and Kyle Clifford used his body well, but they were kind of invisible for most of the night. Clifford was in front of the net on one play and got pushed in the back by Keith Yandle, then looked like a jackass when he dropped his gloves and Yandle just skated away. We'll see them in a few years.

-Juraj Mikus (pronounced "Mee-koosh," which is incredibly fun to say) had a few nice plays and didn't seem out of place on NHL ice. I don't remember if he can go down to Manchester or if he's going back to Europe and I can't really be bothered to do "research" or whatever it's called, but he didn't look like a dick out there so that's something.

-Drew Doughty looks bigger. He had the biggest hits of the night, including a bomb on Ryan Holweg, although he didn't really try to do too much outside of one nice rush up the ice that resulted in a penalty for the Coyotes.

-Thomas Hickey had one play where he grabbed a puck behind the net by skating backwards, collected the puck when it came between his legs and then passed cross-ice to a streaking Justin Williams. It made my dick flutter. He just looks better than Davis Drewiskie, at least for what the Kings need in a defenseman, but I won't mind if he logs heavy minutes in Manchester for a year.

-Colten Teubert, on the other hand, looked like dog shit. There was a sequence in the 2nd where he got burned to the outside by Taylor Pyatt, slashed Pyatt, punched him in the face, and then got the shit kicked out of him. He ended up with 9 minutes in penalties and gave the Coyotes a 4-minute power play. I don't know what the hell is wrong with him; it's like he thinks the quickest way to the NHL is by being a goon. Just play smart hockey, dickhead, and you'll make the league someday. Right now it's not looking too likely.

-Jack Johnson... is really good in the preseason. He had 2 goals, one a power play slap shot, the other a really nice move on a 4-on-3 for the Coyotes where he burst ahead of Kyle Turris, put it between a Coyote's legs and then roofed it backhand over Al Montoya. He was the Kings' best defenseman last night. Can he do that in the NHL? We'll see.

-Rob Scuderi... huh. He was mostly invisible, which is good for a guy like him, although he made a brutal pass that led to one Coyotes goal (update: it didn't lead to a goal, it led to a penalty shot that missed) and deflected another into his own net. I'll chalk it up to early Cup hangover.

-Joe Piskula is someone we will all soon forget.

-Jon Bernier looked... okay, I guess. I'm dubious about him supplanting Jon Quick someday because he's so small to be a pure butterfly goaltender, but we'll see. He didn't have much to do all night and 2 of the goals were fluky (the Scuderi tip and a ridiculous goal by Michael Boedker that he shot from about 1/2 an inch from the goal line... although Bernier kind of caused that one by leaving it behind the net instead of flipping it to Doughty, so I guess that's his fault).

-The Kings really only had one power play line on the game, but it worked pretty well. They had Smyth in front of the net, Moller around the net to collect rebounds, Purcell on the halfboards to run things, and Johnson and Justin Williams on the backend. I don't necessarily like the idea of having a forward playing defense on both power play units (Jarret Stoll being the other), but Williams did look pretty good back there.

-In the other game at Jobing.com Arena (nice name) the Kings fell, 4-2. Both Kings goals were by Wayne Simmonds, who could have a big year offensively if he's playing with Frolov. The Kings need to re-sign Craig Conroy and run a line of Frolov-Conroy-Simmonds so my heart can swell like the Grinch.

-There was this old couple in front of my brother and me that kept getting more and more hands on with one another the more they drank. It was horrifying. When Johnson scored his beautiful 2nd goal they immediately stood up and started making out. My brother and I thought of showing them up by going down on one another but we wanted to watch the rest of the game.

3 Stars:

1) Jack Johnson

2) Drew Doughty

3) Justin Williams

I'll have a look at the position battles that will kick into high gear this week (with a special guest!) coming up either tonight or tomorrow.

Coyotes Open Training Camp Practices Start Today

OdinMercer — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 07:00:28 -0000

More photos » by Paul Connors - AP

The Great One won't be the one leading camp this year.

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Officially camp actually started yesterday, but the first public practices start today at 9:00 am. Here's a look at those invited to camp this year. There are a few names in there that you might recognize from around the league that have not signed with the Coyotes. Ryan Hollweg formerly with Toronto, Aaron Downey from Detroit, Ross Lupaschuk from Anaheim and the KHL and Mitch Fritz from the Islanders. None of them have particularly impressive resumes, but I imagine they're trying out for the position of "Hey someone got hurt, call us up from San Antonio."

Wayne Gretzky, doesn't look to be coming to camp as of today, Ulf Samuellson will be leading in his place. With Wayne's contract situation in the air due to the bankruptcy mess, he simply decided he wasn't going to be there. But I guess Coyotes fans will be getting what a large portion of them had wanted for some time, Wayne out as head coach.

I'll update and repost the list as cuts are made.

Forwards		Defence		Goaltenders
Justin Bernhardt	Mikkel Boedker	Jonas Ahnelov	Nick Ross	Ilya Bryzgalov
Jeff Hoggan	Peter Mueller	Adrian Aucoin	Ed Jovanovski	Joel Gistedt
Kevin Porter	Taylor Pyatt	Shaun Heshka	Michael Stone	Josh Tordjman
Matt Watkins	Scottie Upshall	Chris Frank	Ross Lupaschuk	Jason LaBarbera
David Spina	Francis Lessard	Mathieu Brodeur	Zbynek Michalek	Al Montoya
Vernon Fiddler	Mitch Fritz	Sean Sullivan	Kurt Sauer
Martin Hanzal	Ryan Hollweg	Sean Zimmerman	Sami Lepisto
Lauri Korpikoski	Jordan Szwarz	Tim Billingsley	Keith Yandle
Daniel Winnik	Radim Vrbata	Justin Weller	Jim Vandermeer
Viktor Tikhonov	Andrew Orpik	David Schlemko	Jeff May
Colin Long	Aaron Downey
Shane Doan	Chad Kolarik
Matthew Lombardi	Brett MacLean
Stefan Meyer	Joel Perrault
Petr Prucha	Jared Staal
Kyle Turris

Florida Panthers Rookie Camp: mere hours away

Whale4ever — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 19:11:24 -0000

Now it's beginning to feel close: Monday at 9 am will see the doors of IncredibleIce open to the public's first preseason view of the potential future of the Florida franchise.

Matthias, Garrison, Repik...all the names we've groveled over the past quarter of a year will finally take shape and assemble for the Cats' Rookie Camp in Coral Springs.

In a sense, this is a better brand of competition than the actual NHL Panthers' camp; here it will be decided which "kids" will be ultimately chosen to fight for positions with the Big Club - at least for a portion of the preseason, and hopefully far beyond. There aren't many spots available - and some would argue those scant few open positions should go to veteran NHLers. This week will provide an insight into both arguments.

Behind us are names we'd heard bandied about, season after season: Anthony Stewart, Tanner Glass, Drew Larman, Stefan Meyer, and others have moved on from the organization for varied reasons. Right or wrong, few are crying over these departures.

In their place are some we've seen in previous camps briefly (Jason Garrison, Shawn Matthias, Michal Repik, Keaton Ellerby), others who will be making their debuts on South Florida ice (Dmitry Kulikov, Alexander Salak, Garrett Wilson), as well as a few veterans of Panther camps (Andrew Sweetland, Kenndal McArdle, Brady Calla, Mike Caruso).

Its no secret at this site that I'm all about Repik. Call it a Frolik-hangover, but I'm stoked to see what he can do after a year in Rochester. Same goes for Ellerby, though Garrison may just be ready for The Jump.

We'll be there when the doors open, grabbing lots of photos, shaking out the summer cobwebs. Hope to have some shots online by tomorrow evening, so check back...and please feel free to post your own in a FanShot.

Poll

Who are you most excited to see at Rookie Camp?

Ellerby

6 votes

Repik

13 votes

Matthias

4 votes

Garrison

1 votes

Other (leave in comments)

12 votes

36 votes | Poll has closed

Coyotes Extend Qualifying Offers to a Dozen Players

OdinMercer — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:07:31 -0000

More photos » by Paul Connors - AP

Phoenix Coyotes left winger Scottie Upshall, right, was given a qualifying offer on Tuesday.

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The Coyotes today extended qualifying offers to twelve Restricted Free Agents ahead of the July 1st start of free agency. Details of the offer sheets have not yet been released, but here are the players we made offers to:

Scottie Upshall: Yay! No way we let him go after how he performed for us after the trade from Philly.

Keith Yandle: No question he would be staying with how weak we are on D.

Enver Lisin: Kept the speedster around. We really need to work on his defensive skill set, but the kid can flat out fly.

Daniel Winnik: Solid 3rd line center but needs to pick up his game to what it was a couple seasons back if he wants to stay in Phoenix instead of riding the bus.

Nigel Dawes: From what I heard from the team they hadn't been all that impressed with him, but maybe this is just to keep an asset rather than getting noting for him.

Dave Spina: A locally grown kid who could finally be the first native Arizonan to play in the NHL. The fans here love him and he's a solid guy.

Josh Tordjman: He can compete with Al Montoya for either the Starting spot in San Antonio or possibly the backup spot if we can't find someone to backup Bryzgalov.

Alexander Nikulin: Protecting an asset as I think we've already heard rumors of him going to the KHL.

Stefan Meyer, Shaun Hushka, Sami Lepisto: The new guys we aquired in the Reinprecht deal and trading picks at the draft.

The Coyotes did not extend qualifying offers to the following restricted free agents:

Alex Bourret, Garth Murray and Joakim Lindstrom.

Panthers Wednesday Links-of-Wonder

Whale4ever — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:46:23 -0000

A nice rundown of what's become an annual Panthers trademark: Draft Day deals. Big ones.
Another brilliant and insightful piece on relocating the Coyotes, and while we're at it, let's lose that lousy unwanted bunch from South Florida, too:

"The atmosphere at a Panthers home game is almost library-like."

Season ticket holders: let's hear it...

The kids had better not lose this one; never hear the end of it.
The love Flyers Faithful have for Penguins fans is unending. On the subject of outdoor games, Philadelphia supporter "Melyssa" has an idea that likely won't be pursued. Then again, this is the NHL.

"I'd prefer the Penguins playing the Panthers in whatever the stadium in Miami is called, on a nice rainy 85-degree day, so Cindy and Jenny can catch their skates in a rut and hurt their poor little selves."

For the record, it's Land Shark Stadium. This week.

Speaking of Philly, all indications are pointing to this guy coming to Sunrise in any deal involving the Flyers:

"(RW Joffrey) Lupul has four more years under contract at $4.25 million per year. He would become Florida's highest-paid forward."

Of course, there's another winger - with a few more goals - who has yet to re-sign.

More Rochester goodness, as "The Moose" continues his quest to keep the Americans relevant during the summer months.
On that note, former Amerk Stefan Meyer has been highly complimentary of the organization which just traded him for Steve Reinprecht:

It's tough leaving a team you've been accustomed to. The Florida Panthers showed a lot of class in giving me the chance to go somewhere else.

A good kid who's given a lot to the club. No question he'll get an honest shot in Phoenix.

Grease the Tires and Light the Fires: Getting Ready for Next Season

Gootzman — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 05:58:55 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

8 months ago: Phoenix Coyotes right winger Mikkel Boedker, of Denmark, celebrates his goal with teammates against the Colorado Avalanche in the first period of an NHL hockey game in Denver on Wednesday, April 1, 2009. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

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With the financial situation of the Phoenix Coyotes becoming clearer in recent days, General Manager Don Maloney has been able to draw a more accurate picture of what his plan will be for the organization this summer as the franchise looks to fill holes and get ready for next season.

The year was going well for the Phoenix Coyotes. They went into the All Star Break fighting for the 5th seed in the Western Conference, a spot they had not been familiar with since the 2001-2002 season when they finished 6th in the conference, one point behind the Chicago Blackhawks who owned the fifth seed. The situation was looking strong and Don Maloney was in line of getting the team into the playoffs for the first time since that year.

However, the team began to unravel. The Coyotes could not get going again and went on a stretch where they lost 12 of their next 15 games. They were held to one goal or less in 8 of those games, including being shut out in back to back games and a scoreless drought which spanned over 180 minutes, the equivalent of three games. Inconsistent and poor play on the part of many players contributed to the rapid decline as rookies could not find a scoring touch and the veterans were snake bitten. Goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov kept the team in many games but the inability to score on the Coyotes' part led to a padding of his loss column. When he failed, the team was doomed.

The trade deadline saw a better team coming together, winning five of their last seven games, but it was not enough as the team finished 13th in the Western Conference and out of a top five draft lottery spot.

There are many problems that this team needs to address and as I have mentioned throughout the season it starts behind the bench. Head Coach Wayne Gretzky and his staff are not the coaching staff needed to run this team. If this was a team of veteran players then Gretzky's approach may work but with such a young team, the players need someone who can teach and guide the team through good times and bad. Coaching experience is an aspect of the game that often gets overlooked but it is necessary for a team to succeed, especially if the situation involves a young team. There are a couple of candidates that should be considered by Don Maloney for the coaching position:

Peter Laviolette: With a Stanley Cup on his resume', Laviolette should be a man that is considered for the job. He worked hard in bringing a team that did not have alot of big names in the Carolina Hurricanes to the top of the league. Despite the lockout year between the Stanley Cup year and when they finished 11th, Laviolette led a team that had veterans but relied on young players to succeed. Eric Staal was 21 and led the team in scoring both for the regular season and the playoffs while rookie goaltender Cam Ward took over for the veteran Martin Gerber and was phenomenal in the crease during that playoff run. His aggressive style of play would allow for the Coyotes to use their speed more effectively.

He may be an obvious candidate but at this point anyone would be better than Wayne Gretzky and his staff behind the bench.

On the ice the Coyotes have some work to do in re-signing players this offseason, especially young ones. Steven Reinprecht has already been shipped out and signed by the Florida Panthers with the Coyotes receiving AHL player Stefan Meyer.

Two other names that are in the unrestricted pool for the Coyotes are two defenseman. Dmitri Kalinin was acquired at the deadline from the New York Rangers in the Derek Morris trade. He had four points for the Coyotes in his 15 games with the team and was solid on the back end as well. Depending on his price, Kalinin would provide depth to the blue line and some offensive abilities that may have been missing on the back end.

Ken Klee is the other defenseman. He was picked up off waiver during the season from the Anaheim Ducks. He may not be known for scoring points anymore, finishing with 11 points in 68 games but his work with young defenseman Keith Yandle helped his development tremendously on both sides of the puck. Klee may be getting up there in years but another year in the NHL to lead and teach a young blue line will provide a significant benefit to the growth of the young players on the blue line like Yandle and Zbynek Michalek.

It is on the restricted free agent front that the Coyotes management will be looking to spend the money they have in bringing back young players:

Scottie Upshall: Acquired from Philadelphia for Daniel Carcillo, Upshall provided a spark to the anemic offense of the Coyotes. In 19 games with Phoenix, he had 13 points, 8 goals and 5 assists. His speed was refreshing to watch as he drove to the net and his offensive abilities began to blossom. Phoenix did not have alot of fire power on the wings this season but Upshall will be looked at to make up for it next season. Don Maloney must sign Upshall.

Petr Prucha: The young sparkplug came over from the New York Rangers in the Derek Morris trade and he had an immediate impact on the team. His hardworking style of play got him 10 points, 2 goals and 8 assists, in 19 games with the Coyotes as he got time on the top line and on the power play. He has guts and a great work ethic, using it to score thirty goals in his rookie year with the Rangers. Many have questioned whether he could do it again. He has the offensive skills to do so but he needs the opportunity. In Phoenix he will get that opportunity and the Coyotes are hoping that it will pay off. Prucha provides more speed down the wing and needs to be re-signed. Resigned...2 year deal

Matthew Lombardi: A center acquired in the Olli Jokinen trade with Calgary, Lombardi was inserted into the top center spot on the team and had success finishing with 16 points, 5 goals and 11 assists, in 19 games with the Coyotes. Being stuck on lower lines in Calgary he was finally able to show his offensive abilities as he meshed well with Prucha and Upshall, forming a quick and skilled top line. Don Maloney was looking for established young players at the deadline and Lombardi is on the cusp of establishing himself as a skilled center in the NHL. He is another player who needs to be re-signed.

Enver Lisin: A Russian prospect who did not look to have a future in the NHL because of his lack of defensive play was developed by San Antonio Rampage Head Coach Greg Ireland, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Coyotes. Lisin was brought up and his offensive impact was felt as he finished with 21 points, 13 goals and 8 assists, in 48 games. His incredible speed down the wing helped him create offense and at times, he took over the play on the ice. His defensive play fell off towards the end of the season but a full year in the NHL will help him develop that and he can become an effective NHL scorer. In terms of skill his ceiling is very high and it needs to be developed. Bringing him back will add a whole new meaning of speed to the offensive attack of Phoenix. However, Maloney will have to compete with a recent KHL contract offered to the young Russian winger.

Joakim Lindstrom: Acquired from the Anaheim Ducks that sent defensive prospect Logan Stephenson the other way, Lindstrom was having trouble finding his place in the NHL, bouncing from the Columbus Blue Jackets, to the Ducks and finally Phoenix in a short amount of time. However in Phoenix Lindstrom did find his place as his offense finally began to arrive. Finishing with 20 points, 9 goals and 11 assists, in 44 games Lindstrom was a main source of offense towards the end of the season. His prowess in the shootout helped the Coyotes earn a few more victories but his step on the ice has gone a long way in finding his place in the NHL as he certainly has earned another chance to show off what he is capable of.

Daniel Winnik: One interesting case is that of Daniel Winnik. After a great rookie year that saw him score score 11 goals and 15 assists in 79 games, his offensive production fell to just seven points, 3 goals and 4 assists, in 49 games. He is known as a checking forward who can play both sides of the puck but Phoenix was hoping for a better offensive output. His work ethic is near the top of the team and, being a 9th round pick in the NHL Draft, the fact he has made any impact in the NHL is a small miracle. Going from the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) to the NHL in a short span of time has shown his ability to improve, earning him another shot at impressing the Coyotes.

Nigel Dawes: The young winger came over from the Rangers in the Derek Morris trade and is known for his offense primarily. However he had trouble scoring with the Coyotes as he had just two points in twelve games for Phoenix, both of those being assists. The Rangers believed that he could become a solid goal scorer in the NHL but problems with consistency have made it hard for Dawes to accomplish this feat. He could be used as trade bait at the draft this season but with the lack of options at wing for the Coyotes and the uncertain financial situation, the Coyotes will look to bring him back.

Keith Yandle: The young defenseman made great strides this season as his defensive play greatly improved with the guidance of veteran Ken Klee. His strong point of igniting an offense was made known has he had thirty points, 4 goals and 26 assists, in 69 games. The Phoenix blue line has been considered a weakness of the team in the future but Yandle is part of the strength of the future. The team will be looking for him to take an even larger role in providing offense from the back end and will be key for them going forward. Maloney needs to re-sign Yandle.

Josh Tordjman: Playing in San Antonio for most of the season, Tordjman got a cup of coffee in the NHL towards the end of the season playing two games with Phoenix. He lost both games giving up a total of eight goals. With Bryzgalov having the top spot for the foreseeable future and the success that Al Montoya had in his NHL debut, it looks as if Tordjman will be spending another season in the AHL as the top goalie there. However his skills as a goaltender are still high and he is young with plenty of time to learn. With very little goaltending depth in the organization, Tordjman will be re-signed.

The unfortunate piece to the restricted free agent front is that other teams can put in offer sheets and send the Coyotes if they can not match the offer. However the organization and the fans are looking to get out of the rebuilding stage and into being a competitor. With very little to work with, Maloney will need to work fast to get these young players signed before July 1st when other teams can put up offer sheets and possibly outbid the Coyotes for some of this young talent.

While Phoenix will probably not be big players in the unrestricted free agent market, chances at improving the team are always available at any price. Management will have to be stingy about who they target in this market but there are gems at low prices, as Phoenix found out when they signed Kurt Sauer last summer, a stellar defensive defenseman signed at a low price. However, here are a couple of possibilities for the Coyotes:

The Sedins: I am sure that after mentioning that the Coyotes have very little money to work with, you are surprised to see the Sedin twins on this list. However, in the event that the Coyotes do get a viable owner who has money to spend, Don Maloney should go all ahead full for the Sedins. It is not assured that Daniel and Henrik will stay in Vancouver after this season. They want to stay together and a young team like Phoenix may be their chance to truly break out in the NHL. Henrik had 22 goals and 60 assists this season for 82 points in 82 games. His playmaking abilities have developed and he has become one of the elite playmakers in the Western Conference. Daniel was also a point per game player as he finished with 31 goals and 51 assists and as been known more for his scoring. If Don Maloney could get his hands on the money to sign both of these players, who want to stay together, it would go a long way in establishing a firm foundation from which Phoenix could move forward from.

Blair Betts: Regardless of what happens with the Coyotes financially, they need to look to improve their special teams. While the center position is not a weakness for the Coyotes, the penalty kill is and if they want to improve it, they should be looking at one of the best penalty killers in the league in Betts. Phoenix finished 28th in the league in penalty kill and it led to their demise down the stretch. Betts would bring a veteran presence to a young penalty killing unit and would be an option in helping a young player like Martin Hanzal who is slowly becoming a good shut down forward for the Coyotes. Betts would not be overly expensive and would provide benefits both on and off the ice for the Coyotes. Betts finished with 6 goals and 4 assists in 81 games this season, tallying a goal and 3 assists shorthanded. The New York Rangers finished first in the league on the penalty kill.

Stephane Veilleux: A left winger who has played for the Minnesota Wild his entire career, Veilleux has played for a team that has had trouble scoring because of their system. This past season he had 13 goals and 10 assists in 81 games for the Wild. He has played on one of the top penalty kills the past few years as Minnesota finished this season second on the penalty kill in the NHL. Other teams will be after his services this summer but he may fly under the radar and if he does Phoenix should be right there to get him.

As I mentioned before, the Sedins are a long shot and should only be pursued if the right financial situation is in place but other than players like Betts and Veilleux, the Coyotes should not be looking to do too much in the unrestricted market.

Phoenix will most likely not be fielding a Stanley Cup contender the next few years so draft picks are essential to the future of the team. Restricted free agents will be very hard to go after considering all the restricted players that need to be signed for the Coyotes and the little amount of money that could easily be matched or outbid. Giving up draft picks that could result in high draft positions is too risky for a team that is relying on young players and their development for success.

What the Coyotes who do not need to be signed need to do is improve, greatly. Captain Shane Doan had a career season and continues to improve on a mediocre team as he scored 31 goals and 42 assists for 73 points in 82 games. He has committed himself to this franchise when he could have gone elsewhere for more money and glory. His leadership has provided an intangible benefit to the team that many people overlook. However, he will need to continue to be a leader both on and off the ice as he is the focal point of the offense right now.

Young players were going to be the core of the team this season and, unfortunately, things did not pan out as Don Maloney and management would have liked them to. Peter Mueller had a good rookie season where he scored 54 points, including 22 goals. However he was troubled with inconsistency and injuries this season and was only able to tally 13 goals and 23 assists in 72 games. He was being counted on to improve his play and numbers but it did not happen for the young winger. This offseason he will be working hard to get back into optimum game shape after suffering a concussion late in the season. The expectations of the team and of himself will drive him to make him do much better next season

Martin Hanzal, another sophomore for Phoenix, was a bright spot for the team. He may not have improved on his rookie total scoring 11 goals and 20 assists this season but his defensive play was stellar as he was put up against some of the big centers in the Western Conference like Ryan Getzlaf, Joe Thornton, and Anze Kopitar. He matured as a two way forward which benefitted the Coyotes and was on their penalty kill. However, he needs to use his large frame more and improve on his offensive totals.

Rookies made their debuts for the Coyotes and they were being thrown right into the fire as they were immediately relied upon for offense. Kyle Turris was the big name for first year players. The team had high hopes that he would have a great rookie year on the score sheet. Unfortunately Turris had trouble with his small frame in producing as much as the Coyotes would have liked him to as he had 8 goals and 12 assists for 20 points in 63 games. However with a year now under his belt Turris can prepare this offseason both physically and mentally for the rigors of the NHL season. His second season will be important to his development as a young player.

Danish forward Mikkel Boedker jumped right from the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League to the Phoenix Coyotes as the 8th overall pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. This season he scored 11 goals and 17 assists for 28 points in 78 games. Boedker's chemistry with former Phoenix Coyote Olli Jokinen was stellar in helping him put points on the board while his speed helped him put space between himself and some of the bigger defenders in the Western Conference. Like Turris, Boedker's big issue is in size. Bulking up while keeping his speed and hands will be key to Boedker's success in his second season where Phoenix will be looking for more of an offensive output.

A wild card to make the team, Russian forward Viktor Tikhonov was noted more for his grandfather's reputation than for his play on the ice. However Tikhonov showed why so many teams were after the young forward at the draft last year as he tallied 8 goals and 8 assists for 16 points in 61 games. He needs to learn bulk up his frame a bit but there is no doubt the kid has potential to be a good player in the league and for the Phoenix Coyotes in the future.

Every rookie will need to improve their play if the team wants to be successful now and in the future which means putting in the summer work and coming back to training camp ready to go. Conditioning has been a problem with this team and has led to its downfalls late in seasons. It must be improved if the Coyotes want to take the next step forward. They showed that they have the skill to compete in the Western Conference but they need the physical endurance to stay at that high level for an extended period of time.

What actually happens this offseason with the Coyotes is a great mystery to everyone following the NHL. The battle between Jim Balsillie and the NHL will be branding the headlines for the foreseeable future as a fight for the franchise will continue. Coyotes fans are hoping that there will be a hockey team at Jobing.com Arena this October and for many years to come while critics of Gary Bettman and his initiative to bring hockey to untraditional hockey markets are hoping there will be an empty arena. However what ever the outcome of the financial battle, general manager Don Maloney will need to have a course of action that will field a competitive hockey team no matter where it will be playing.

Count me as a hopeful it is in Phoenix.

Panthers acquire center Steve Reinprecht from Phoenix

Whale4ever — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:51:33 -0000

More photos » by Paul Connors - AP

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Florida's Randy Sexton has fired the first shot of the free agent season, picking up Steve Reinprecht from the Coyotes for winger Stefan Meyer. As reported on both the Sun-Sentinel and Miami Herald websites, the trade was agreed upon yesterday, while negotiations on a new three-year contract were banged out last night. Salary numbers were not announced.

Steven Reinprecht

#0 / Center / Florida Panthers

Height: 6-0

Weight: 195

Born: May 07, 1976

Not a blockbuster by any definition, it's a solid addition up the middle in return for Meyer, whose inconsistency at the NHL level has hindered his progress beyond Rochester.

Stefan Meyer

#0 / Left Wing / Phoenix Coyotes

Height: 6-2

Weight: 194

Born: Jul 20, 1985

I said earlier on Facebook that this is A deal, but is it THE deal? Florida's roster at center now includes Reinprecht, Stephen Weiss, Gregory Campbell, ~~Chad Kilger~~, Brett McLean, and Kamil Kreps. Factor in Rochester's Shawn Matthias and Drew Larman, and it's evident the organization is stocked with second-line (or lower) centers.

Figure McLean and Kreps are toast, with Matthias being the first call-up.

So...what's next?

On a related note, the Panthers employed a bizarre strategy for drawing eyeballs to their Facebook and Twitter sites: claiming an "announcement" was coming from the team "hopefully in the next hour". The anticipation was a bitch but all around it was kinda fun. Certainly got folks talking.

Poll

Happy with the deal?

Yes...Reinprecht's got a solid history

31 votes

No...This is our big-time number one Center??? Here they go again

21 votes

Unsure...Let it play out

20 votes

72 votes | Poll has closed

Coyotes Still Doing Business, Sign Prucha and Acquire Meyer

OdinMercer — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:49:46 -0000

More photos » by Ross D. Franklin - AP

Phoenix Coyotes' Petr Prucha, bottom, of the Czech Republic, scores the winning goal against Dallas Stars' Tobias Stephan (31), of Switzerland in a game the Coyotes won 6-5 in overtime.

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It looks like GM Don Maloney is getting back to business as the Coyotes made a couple of moves today. First we acquired Stefan Meyer from the Florida Panthers for Steven Reinprecht, who they immediately turned around and inked to a 3 year deal worth an average of 2 million a year. Reinprecht was in and out of the lineup for the Coyotes this past season and was kind of expected to be dealt at the trade deadline. He's a solid center and a good locker room guy, but with all the young guys getting ice time it looks like he got squeezed out. In return we got a guy that has played alright in the AHL for the Rochester Americans, last season he was 18-22-40, but has only seen time in 4 NHL games. This is another case of GM Don Maloney getting something rather than nothing by trading Rhino's rights instead of just letting him sign. I'm not sure if Meyer is a future NHLer or not, but I'd rather have him that getting nothing in return.

The second move of the day was resigning Petr Prucha to a two year deal. The terms weren't disclosed, but Prucha played pretty well after being traded from New York and was the only one of the three acquired for Derek Morris that really showed that he wanted to earn a contract. A quick look at Prucha's numbers is below.

Petr Prucha

#16 / Left Wing / Phoenix Coyotes

Height: 6-0

Weight: 175

Born:Sep 14, 1982

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2008 - Petr Prucha	47	6	13	19	-1	22	1	0	1	1	67	9.0

NHL News: Florida Panthers acquire Reinprecht from Phoenix Coyotes, Prucha re-signed

Joe Fortunato — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:49:21 -0000

More photos » by Ross D. Franklin - AP

8 months ago: Phoenix Coyotes' Petr Prucha, bottom, of the Czech Republic, scores the winning goal against Dallas Stars' Tobias Stephan (31), of Switzerland, in overtime of an NHL hockey game Monday, March 30, 2009, in Glendale, Ariz. The Coyotes defeated the Stars 6-5 in overtime. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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As per TSN the Coyotes are still wheeling and dealing even though they are in a bankrupt state. Here is the highlights from the full story:

Phoenix has traded centre Steve Reinprechtt to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Stefan Meyer.

The Coyotes have also signed forward Petr Prucha to a two-year deal.

Reinprecht, meanwhile, has signed a three-year deal with the Panthers.

Reinprecht's three-year deal has a cap hit of $2.050 million. He will get $1.8 million in the first year and $2.175 million in each of the following two years.

You might also noticed that jammed into that story Prucha was re-signed to a two year deal. Good for him I do wish the former Ranger well, he always left his heart on the ice every shift. The change of scenery was good for him, so lets see if it lasts. (And is it just me or does he look good in that burgundy jersey?)

Panthers Wonder-Links for Wednesday

Whale4ever — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 22:56:06 -0000

More photos » by Steve Mitchell - AP

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Another modest day for news around the Cats (read: zippo), but there's always something to latch on to so close to next week's Draft. Away we go...

Actually, there's this nugget from CSNPhilly which might prove to be more than "modest":

(Flyers GM Paul) Holmgren believes there’s a good chance Bouwmeester’s rights will be traded prior to July 1, when the free agency period begins.

Ok, most everyone residing outside of a mental health institution has come to the same conclusion (and I don't make Homer's coin, so keep me in mind for that vacant GM spot, Billy T.). The interesting part is this:

According to a league source, free-agent defenseman Jay Bouwmeester has a "wish list" of about six NHL teams he would like to sign with and the Flyers are on it. According to the source, Bouwmeester likes the Flyers from an "organizational standpoint" and considers them an "up-and-coming team."

Granted, given Jay's vanilla answers to every question ever put to him it's quite possible this is the standard summary of every organization looking to acquire him. Heck, league executives from coast to coast have begun consistently defining the Panthers as up-and-coming. In any case, start getting fitted for your Danny Briere sweaters now, kids.

Apparently, the Florida Everblades' Germain Arena is pretty well beloved among minor-league venues.
Prospect Stefan Meyer is already bored with his summer.
The always entertaining Kurtenblog begins their "UFA of the Day" series with: yeah, him again.
THN's Ryan Kennedy profiles two Penguins who have big decisions on their plates. How drive the points home? Mention a Panther, of course!
Tomorrow night we'll see whether sympathy for a now ex-NHLer still exists when the NHL Awards are handed out in ~~future expansion site~~ Las Vegas.