ARMSTRONG, COYOTES READY TO TAKE NEXT STEP

The word “rebuild” has become synonymous with the Arizona Coyotes since the turn of the decade. Ushering in new ownership under Alex Muruelo, Bill Armstrong was brought in as the new General Manager to spearhead an organizational facelift at the beginning of the pandemic.

This new era and regime saw Arizona get back to basics: weaponize their cap space and accrue as many assets as possible with their sights set on the future.

Since Armstrong’s hire in September 2020, the Coyotes have selected six times in both the first and second rounds of the NHL Draft, including three times in the top-10. Of all the high selections, none have been more important to the franchise than 2022 third-overall pick Logan Cooley.

Cooley, 19, is in his first season with the Coyotes, and his impact has already been felt.

“He’s brought a lot of enthusiasm being the young guy,” Armstrong told TFP in an exclusive interview. “I think he can have an impact for us this year and is going to help our team take a big step forward.”

The Coyotes made some additions this summer with eyes on improving, and arguably the biggest one is defenceman Sean Durzi, who was acquired from the Los Angeles Kings. The 24-year-old has formed a pair with JJ Moser on the Coyotes’ top defence unit and will play a massive role on whether or not this team will see significant improvements this season.

“Moser is highly competitive and plays big minutes for us and he’s done a great job getting better every year,” said Armstrong. “Durzi is going to have an impact on the power play but can play a lot of minutes at the same time. He’s well rounded, can move the puck, create offence, and jump up in the rush.

“He’s a valuable asset for us.”

With a lot of new blood and youth entering the lineup, the Coyotes are still relying on Barrett Hayton and Clayton Keller to play big roles for a team looking to take the next step. Now 23 and 25 years old, respectively, the two make up two thirds of the club’s top line. They both figure to be massive X factors for the Coyotes – both now and in the future.

“I do believe they’re part of the future, both are 25 years old and under,” said Armstrong. “They’re the guy that have been our driving force the last couple of years during the rebuild. We view them as core players and the guys we want to take a step forward with.

“They have impacts for us every night, continue to improve and are big pieces of our team.”

The Coyotes made a lot of moves this summer but were under the radar in doing so. They signed Nick Bjugstad, Travis Dermott, Matt Dumba, Alex Kerfoot and Jason Zucker, quietly a bunch of minor moves that equate to, as one would assume, a fairly significant difference all together.

It has caught the eye of other teams, wondering if this is the year the Coyotes will look to take those tangible next steps. Entering his fourth season as GM, that is part of the plan for Armstrong.

“We’re in a place where now it’s about taking that next step forward,” said Armstrong while in conversation with TFP. “Phase two, building a good team to take that next step.

“Our division is wide open; you never know what can happen. It’s going to be a grind for us every night. We’re one of the youngest teams in the NHL but I do believe, if we improve every game, we have a chance to be playing meaningful games down the stretch.”

Over the course of the pandemic, the Coyotes were able to take advantage of their cap space to take on salary and acquire draft picks. They are still set up very nicely in the coming drafts, owning 10 second-round picks over the next three drafts.

While that was an important part of the build, Armstrong believes that phase is over. The Coyotes have over $6 million of cap space, according to CapFriendly, but do not intend on once again being a team to help bail out other organizations for the right cost. While Armstrong does not want to “shut off any avenues,” that is no longer their priority; improving the current squad is at the forefront and seeing tangible progress.

With all that in mind, one has to ask: could the Coyotes look to use some of their draft capital and immense cap space to make “win now” moves?

“If there’s an opportunity to add a player that can help us beyond this year, yes,” said Armstrong. “If it’s a Sean Durzi-type player that we know will help us the following year to give up an asset for, absolutely.”

It’s a different tone in Arizona, but one that was needed after a ton of time with eyes on the future. Three years have gone by quickly, but it is now time for Armstrong to take that hard work of foundation building and parlay it into on ice improvements.

Aside from the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars, the rest of the Central Division is wide open, and there is a place to be had inside the top three. While playoffs may still be out of reach this season, the Coyotes’ sights are set in rapid progress in that direction. With the right improvements to significant players on the team, it may not be too long before we see the ‘Yotes playing meaningful games in late spring once again.