Desert Moves

By: Mike Rifkin

When discussing the Arizona Coyotes, we often talk about their arena situation. Last season, the Coyotes had a record of 28-40-14 and 70 points. Outside of the bubble in 2020, the Coyotes haven’t made the playoffs since making it to the Western Conference Finals in 2012. 

The Coyotes have taken advantage of being a very young team and a team that doesn’t reach the heights of the salary cap. This summer, the Coyotes have made some low-key good signings. They’ve added forwards Jason Zucker and Alex Kerfoot. They also signed former first-round pick Logan Cooley to his entry-level contract. They recently added Defenseman Matt Dumba to accompany Troy Stetcher and Sean Durzi on the Blue Line. 

Zucker had 27 goals and 48 points for the Penguins last season, while Kerfoot had ten goals and 32 points for the Maple Leafs. Sean Durzi had nine goals and 38 points for the Kings, and Dumba had four goals and 14 points for the Wild. But the thing all of these guys have in common is they’ve played in playoff games and will provide leadership to a Coyote locker room that, for the most part, has not experienced those kinds of games. Cooley, who the Coyotes drafted third overall in 2022, had 22 goals and 60 points for the University of Minnesota, then had seven goals and 14 points in the World Junior Championships. 

They are adding this to a core led by Clayton Keller, who had 86 points last season. These moves might not make the Coyotes a playoff team this season, but they’re exciting to watch because these guys who are signed short-term can help them be successful in two different ways. One is they’re in the race for one of the Wild Cards or at the trade deadline. They could have some of the biggest prizes, impacting the return. But whichever happens, the Coyotes have had a good summer without us talking about their arena situation.