ARIZONA COYOTES

Coyotes midseason progress report: Plusses and Minuses

Jan 15, 2017, 8:14 AM | Updated: 3:56 pm

Arizona Coyotes goalie Mike Smith (41) makes a save during second period NHL action against the Van...

Arizona Coyotes goalie Mike Smith (41) makes a save during second period NHL action against the Vancouver Canucks in Vancouver, British Columbia, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017. (Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press via AP)

(Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press via AP)

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Coyotes hit the midpoint of their season on Friday so it’s a good time to pause and reflect on what we’ve seen.

We’re not big on report cards with so much youth dotting this roster and coloring all phases of the team’s play. Let’s call this a progress report with some midseason observations.

MVP: Mike Smith

Smith has appeared in 25 games (he missed a month with a left-leg injury), posting a 2.83 goals against average and a .918 save percentage, which ranks 16th in the NHL among goalies with at least 20 games played. Smith’s shining moment was a franchise-record 58-save performance in a 3-2 shootout loss to the NHL points-leading Columbus Blue Jackets. Except for a two-week during which the Coyotes lost nine straight games, he has ben a stalwart in net and was the most deserving Coyotes of this season’s NHL All-Star berth.

Top rookie: Christian Dvorak

This is a tough one. Earlier in the season, Jakob Chychrun might have won in a landslide because he took so many observers by surprise with his skating and offensive vision. Lately, he’s been in and out of the lineup and up and down in his consistency at a difficult position. Lawson Crouse has been a steady performer in his limited role in the bottom six, but he’s only averaging 11:49 of ice time. In another month, Brendan Perlini (six goals) might run away with this award but his sample six of 17 games is too small. Laurent Dauphin and Anthony DeAngelo have shuttled between Tucson and Glendale as they work on deficiencies in their game. While Dvorak has not shown a dynamic side, he has played the most games (38), he has the most points (12), he is getting opportunities in all situations and the center position has myriad responsibilities.

Free agent review: Alex Goligoski, Jamie McGinn, Radim Vrbata, Luke Schenn, Ryan White

Goligoski has 12 assists, the third-highest total on the team, and he has played better since a rough start, but no matter how the team colors it, he has not impacted the team’s possession numbers the way they had hoped, especially for five years and $27.375 million. McGinn has seven goals in 37 games, which puts him off the 20-goal pace the Coyotes would like to see. You have to wonder how much he would benefit from a better playmaker on his line, but he has been a responsible player. Vrbata cost far less than either of the aforementioned players, but he is leading the team in points and has delivered everything the Coyotes could have asked and more. Schenn and White have filled their limited roles capably.

Mr. Steady: Tobias Rieder

Rieder’s protracted contract negotiations didn’t impact him once he hit the ice. He was already in game-shape from the World Cup of Hockey and he has been the quintessential 200-foot, Dave Tippett style player. He is tied for second on the team in goals with eight.

Trouble spot: Center

The Coyotes opted to buy out veteran Antoine Vermette at the start of the season to give young centers Dylan Strome, Dvorak and Dauphin a chance to grab roster spots. While Dvorak has nailed down a regular roster spot, Strome went back to juniors because he was not physically ready and Dauphin has served stints in Tucson to work on his offensive game. Compounding the problem was the loss of Brad Richardson to a broken right tibia and fibula. That precipitated the waiver pick-ups of Peter Holland, Josh Jooris and Alex Burmistrov, who has yet to play. The center position must see dramatic improvement in the coming years.

Trouble spot, Part II: Right defense

The Coyotes tried to land a right-handed defenseman via trade this offseason but they could not consummate the deal. Michael Stone isn’t close to matching last season’s production and Connor Murphy appears to have plateaued after last season’s big step forward. DeAngelo has shown some promise as a puck-moving defenseman but he needs work without the puck. This could (should?) still be an offseason priority.

Sophomores a mixed bag: Max Domi, Anthony Duclair, Jordan Martinook, Louis Domingue 

Duclair had just one goal in his first 31 games and has just three this season. Goal scoring is the main reason he is in the lineup. Domi was having a fine year (16 points in 26 games) before he suffered a broken bone in his hand that has sidelined him since Dec. 8. Martinook got off to a great start but has just one goal and four points in his last 22 games. Martinook brings a lot more to the table, however, in a penalty-killing and defensive role — not to mention his versatility — but he is out of the lineup with an upper-body injury. Domingue struggled in a limited backup role early but has played well in his last two starts.

Leadership check: Shane Doan, Martin Hanzal, Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Doan is way off his 28-goal pace from a year ago in a diminished role; a role that is eating at him. Hanzal is doing the same things he does every year: contributing some offense, matching up against other teams’ top talent and providing net presence and space for his linemates. Ekman-Larsson has not been the dynamic presence the Coyotes need him to be with 23 points in 42 games (tied for 18th among NHL defenseman). We suspect he has played hurt this season.

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