For this coming hockey season, the bottom line for the Arizona Coyotes could be more of the “same old, same old.”
If their offseason moves, at this point, are complete, the Coyotes made just a few lateral moves.
No significant trades and no signing of major free agents characterized the Arizona offseason. In a strange way, the Coyotes could benefit from buying out the remaining three years of a troubled Mike Ribeiro’s contract and opening the door to say goodbye to right wing Radim Vrbata. These subtractions could work in the Coyotes' favor.
Then again, head coach Dave Tippett is wondering how to replace potential offensive contributions. The optimum word here is “potential,” as Vrbata tended to disappear for significant periods of time with little or no production. At the same time, Ribeiro, battling emotional and marital problems, appeared to be of no use to his team down the critical stretch last season.
While general manager Don Maloney and Tippett wanted to address concerns like scoring, play at the blue line and in net, several of these issues may not have been adequately addressed.
That’s because the pla ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Mark Brown
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