The 2019-20 edition of the Arizona Coyotes made some noise after being one of the "extra" teams invited to the bubbles. As the No. 10 seed, they defeated the Nashville Predators before being bowled over by the Colorado Avalanche.
What does the 2020-21 edition hold in store (aside from some elite Reverse Retro jerseys)? Here's everything you need to know ahead of opening night:
Big question: Can goaltending deliver a playoff berth?
Last season, the Coyotes added big names like Phil Kessel and Taylor Hall to their roster in an effort to bolster one of the weakest offenses in the NHL. The result saw an uptick of just 0.16 goals per game, which moved them from 29th to 23rd in the league.
Arizona's .529 points percentage could be credited to the other side of the ice, where Darcy Kuemper (.928 save percentage) and Antti Raanta (.921) were one of the best tandems in the NHL. That great goaltending continued into the postseason, where the Coyotes found themselves thanks to the 24-team playoff bubble expansion. Kuemper delivered a qualifying round win over Nashville, before the Coyotes were humbled by Colorado.
Can the goalies give them a second straight playoff appearance, something the team hasn't had since 2012?
Did realignment hurt or help?
Hurt. Like other Pacific Division teams, the Coyotes go from a division with one "sure thing" in the Vegas Golden Knights, to having the Knights, Avalanche and Blues ahead of them. But hey, at least the California teams are still there.
Offseason comings and goings, plus the cap situation
The biggest loss was Hall, who was acquired by former GM John Chayka in Dec. 2019 with the hope that he might sign his next deal with Arizona. Try as the team did to ink him long term, Hall left for Buffalo as a free agent. The Coyotes also traded center Derek Stepan, another top-six forward, to the Ottawa Senators. Arizona added three forwards in the offseason in Drake Caggiula, Derick Brassard and Johan Larsson. The Coyotes have just over $2 million cap space available, according to Cap Friendly.
Bold prediction
Oliver Ekman-Larsson relents on his trade list. One of the more interesting developments in the offseason was the availability of Coyotes defenseman and captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The 29-year-old is in the second of an eight-year contract that carries an $8.25 million annual cap hit ... and a full no-movement clause. Arizona reportedly chatted with Vancouver and Boston, two of the only destinations that the defenseman would consider. Our prediction: As the season progresses, Ekman-Larsson reconsiders his stances, and expands his options for new GM Bill Armstrong.
Breakout candidate: Jakob Chychrun
The 22-year-old defenseman is in the second of a six-year contract, and coming off his strongest NHL season. Chychrun had 26 points in 63 games, playing 22:26 per game on average. The postseason, which wasn't as good, provided him with valuable experience. Under the tutelage of assistant coach Phil Housley, who has helped develop his share of outstanding defensemen, Chychrun showed strong defensive work and an ability to jump into the play offensively last season.
Biggest strength: Goaltending
Not to put too fine a point on it, but Kuemper and Raanta are really good. The Coyotes had a team save percentage of .919, behind only Boston and Dallas in the NHL last season. Kuemper in particular is one of the best goalies in the NHL. Over 75% of his appearances were "quality starts" according to that metric, and he was fifth in the NHL with 20 goals saved above average. He made 49 saves in two of his four postseason wins, which were two of the best goaltending performances in the bubbles.
Biggest weakness: Goal scoring
This is coach Rick Tocchet's fourth campaign with the Coyotes. Last season's 2.71 goals per game was the highest of his tenure, and again, that was good enough for only 23rd in the NHL. Their 8.6 shooting team percentage was also the highest under Tocchet, and that ranked 24th. Conor Garland led the Coyotes with 22 goals. Kessel, acquired for his goal scoring, had his lowest goals-per-game average (0.20) since his rookie season.
The departures of Hall and Carl Soderberg removed offense from the lineup. They didn't add much to replace it. Arizona is a team that scores by committee and doesn't score enough, despite some solid contributions from players like Nick Schmaltz and Clayton Keller.
Coyotes in NHL Rank
No. 77: Oliver Ekman-Larsson, D
No. 78: Darcy Kuemper, G
Prospect perspective
Pipeline ranking: 18
Prospects in the top 100: No. 12 Barrett Hayton (C), No. 51 Victor Soderstrom (D), No. 83 Jan Jenik (C/W), No. 91 Matias Maccelli (LW)
Fantasy facts to know
Just because the Taylor Hall-less Coyotes won't score a ton doesn't mean they completely lack in fantasy flair. Launching his fourth NHL campaign, Clayton Keller needs to rediscover his 65-point scoring touch experienced as a rookie. Still only 22 years old, the top-line winger has yet to peak, and will undoubtedly benefit from this past summer's playoff run -- his first. Keller is my early pick to finish top of the club's scoring table. Rookie Barrett Hayton should attract the attention of dynasty owners as a top-six forward, while veteran Phil Kessel is due to bounce back after last season's lackluster showing. The prolific producer of just two years ago could pay out rich fantasy dividends as a later-round selection.
In net, Darcy Kuemper remains underrated as a quiet fantasy star, rocking a 2.27 goals-against average and .926 save percentage over the past two seasons combined. That the Coyotes allow more shots than two thirds of the league also doesn't hurt in leagues that reward saves. The only knock on Kuemper is that the other guy isn't lousy either. Antti Raanta will play. Not as often as Kuemper, but enough to tarnish the No. 1's status as an elite fantasy netminder.
On defense, the endearingly durable Oliver Ekman-Larsson is set to contribute near his usual 0.5 point-per-game clip, including on the No. 1 power play. Fellow blueliner Jakob Chychrun won't produce at the same rate as Ekman-Larsson, but is more inclined to block shots. -- Victoria Matiash