Up until the past seven games, the Coyotes had exceeded most external expectations. They were as close to a playoff spot as they were to the NHL basement. Their middle core was showing further signs of progress. Goaltender Karel Vejmelka was among the league leaders in goals saved above expected. They were beating elite teams and they were winning with…
His Coyotes teammates call Nick Bjugstad “Byoogie,” a nod to that troublesome J in his Norwegian surname. Coach André Tourigny drops the J and calls him “Boogie” because it rolls a little more easily off his French-Canadian tongue. Bjugstad’s Florida Panthers teammates used to call him “Rotisserie Chicken” because he couldn’t find parking one night when he was meeting them...
Stanley Cup winning teams look for a way to sustain the previous season’s fire. Playoff teams look for a way to get over the hump in their quest for a championship. Non-playoff teams hope to take the next step in their evolution toward contention. The Coyotes goals for the 2022-23 season are a bit more esoteric. As a team, they’ll...
In the best-case scenario, Nick Bjugstad and the Coyotes will enjoy a mutually beneficial relationship: He'll resuscitate his career while the Coyotes will gain a veteran presence and perhaps more draft assets.