The Coyotes have only tasted the postseason once in the past 10 seasons, but plenty of ex-Coyotes have tasted the playoffs, or experienced playoff success. With the Stanley Cup playoffs in full bloom, it’s time for our annual check-in on ex-Coyotes in the postseason. For purposes of this story, if a player is on a team’s playoff roster but hasn’t…
When Coyotes defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere addressed reporters after a 6-2 loss to the Nashville Predators at Mullett Arena on Sunday, he offered an unintentional reminder to fans. While most of us are eagerly awaiting the opening of the floodgates and the asset exchange that follows, the NHL’s trade deadline (Friday at 1 p.m. Arizona time) is far more than a…
Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun was all the rage on Twitter this past weekend. According to amateur sleuths, he had scrubbed all reference of his current team from his social media accounts during the All-Star break. He had recently followed a bunch of Toronto Maple Leafs players. He had recently followed a bunch of Boston Bruins. He had recently followed a…
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.