Arizona Coyotes Pleased With Martin Erat, Prospects On The Rise and more…
By Tony Fischer
The Meltdown
Arizona Coyotes Edition
The Arizona Coyotes are off to a 2-2-1 start this season after a disappointing 4-3 loss in overtime to the Nashville Predators. But despite the Coyotes recent stumble there are plenty of reasons to stay positive Glendale.
Martin Erat is starting to prove that last season was a fluke and that he has a lot more hockey left in him. Erat has 4 points in 5 games including two goals for the Coyotes early on this season. The two goals are nearly equal to his goal total form last season (3).
In the midst of making a run at the playoffs this season the Arizona Coyotes also have an eye on the future. Goaltender Devan Dubnyk seems to be on the rise while the Coyotes prospects are getting some national recognition.
All of these links and more on HeatWaved’s hockey edition of The Meltdown.
From AZCentral: Arizona Coyotes Pleased With Martin Erat’s Progress
"After a preseason game in Vancouver, Coyotes assistant coach Newell Brown told winger Martin Erat his performance against the Canucks was his best since Erat made the cross-country move to Arizona. But the compliment didn’t resonate much with Erat. “I was like, ‘Yeah, it wasn’t hard. Last year I didn’t play one good game,’ ” Erat said."
From AZCentral: Is Devan Dubnyks Stock On The Rise
"After the loss on Saturday night versus the Blues, a night that Mike Smith let in six goals on 36 shots, his goals against this year rose to a whopping 16 in just three games played. His 5.34 Goals-Against-Average (GAA) is the third-worst in the entire league and his .822 Save Percentage is second-worst. If it wasn’t for backup goalies John Gibson (Ana) and Michael Hutchinson (Wpg), who each have only one game played under their belts, Smith would rank dead last in those categories."
From thehockeywriters.com: Arizona Coyotes: Bad Moon Rising
"t’s possible the Coyotes call up forwards Henrik Samuelsson, Tobias Rieder and Lucas Lessio at some point this season. All had quality performances at training camp but just weren’t ready to pry a roster spot away from a more established player."
From HockeysFuture.com: Arizona Coyotes Feature Well Balanced Prospect Pool
"The Arizona Coyotes have actively addressed the composition of their prospect pool since the 2013-14 trade deadline. A year ago, there was a logjam of talented defensemen throughout their pipeline. At the deadline, general manager Dave Maloney traded David Rundblad to the Chicago Blackhawks. At the 2014 NHL Draft, the Coyotes grabbed seven forwards while only selecting two defensemen, both in the late rounds."