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Dave Tippett‘s magic seems to have run out. The Arizona Coyotes, long a factor in the West’s postseason race despite comparatively inferior talent, are an unmistakable cellar-dweller in 2014-15. With the Coyotes at 10-14-3, the woeful Edmonton Oilers are the only team in the conference with a worse record.
Arizona’s problems lie at both ends of the rink. A defenseman not named Erik Karlsson leading his team in points is typically not a good sign. Keith Yandle is a solid offensive defenseman, but him doing the most scoring of any Coyotes player indicates a team severely lacking in forward talent. Antoine Vermette and Mikkel Boedker are not first-line talents, and Shane Doan has been steadily declining for several years.
The situation is even worse on defense, where Arizona usually excels but has been awful in 2014-15. The Coyotes are routinely out-possessed at 5-on-5 and are giving up a sky-high 3.11 goals per tilt. Mike Smith‘s game has fallen off a cliff this year; with an atrociously low 89% save percentage, the normally reliable goaltender has been vastly outplayed by journeyman backup Devan Dubnyk.
Positives are hard to come by for the organization these days. The long-term contract handed to Smith has the early makings of an albatross, and a strict internal budget handcuffs management from making immediate fixes. An F is the only grade this failed season deserves.
Sean Sarcu is a Chicago Blackhawks writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter or add him to your network on Google.
