An A Class Draft + a Question Filled FA = B+
Celebrated our country’s birthday in grand style with most of the ususal suspects and some family from Tucson. Interesting mix of people from lots of walks of life, Much like our country, it was a melting pot event. I’d like to take the time to send a quick shout out to all you service folks who drop by to keep up with the Coyotes from far away places! Thank you all for all you do to make America one of the greatest countries on earth. If it wasn’t for the warriors, no one else would have the freedoms and the great life we all enjoyed so well yesterday.
Well its back to work for me. Sizing up how we did during the last few weeks is not an easy task.
Draft day we did phenomenally. Our new rookies have seriously got it goin on. From Bods (#8) to Billingsley (#189) we picked up some quality kids, some kids who have skills, a few with hockey pedigrees and mostly kids who could someday stand on Coyotes ice and make us all proud. I have to say it was definitely and A grade run.
Our free agent run is a very mixed bag in my eyes. Was I disappointed? I have to be truthful, yes. I thought we would concentrate about 6 or 7 mill on 2 fair quality, proven defensemen. But there is a reason that I sit here typing and GMDM is out there shopping. We picked up Sauer (to replace our beloved Ballard) and Hale (to replace the stalwart Boynton) and we will probably be running 7 defensemen as Jonesy and Yandle try to step up into expanded roles alongside Z, Jovo and DMo.
These guys aren’t on many people’s radars (certainly were’nt on mine). But Sauer and Hale were certainly on GMDMs since he let it be known that Sauer was his first pick at D and although Hale hasn’t scored that life changing 1st NHL goal yet, I think GMDM is thinking THIS will be the year. I like Sauer’s stats, I like his attitude (”You can’t let any people take liberties on your players, no matter what. You have to be physical right back at them. If they pick on your top guys, whoever we’re playing, you make them pay twice as much.”)I think I’m gonna like this guy… a lot.
On the forward side of free agency, I didn’t even know there was gonna be one and I am still not sure there shoulda been but when GMDM says things like (”Todd’s a guy that has played with some good players, he drives to the net, provides a presence, not unlike Danny Winnik, only he’s big and thick and strong and gives us a presence, so I like the fit. So far we have done two things that we started out to help - we helped our defense and gave ourselves a little more toughness up front.”) you gotta give it the benefit of the doubt.
Given that we know we needed more physical presence (due to the very, very young stature of the team for the next 3 years) and that we definitely need someone who not only understands the terms, drive to the net and crease camping and that we are feeling a pinch on our blue line but have plenty of D coming up soon, all three signings make sense. So I’ll give our FA activities a B- for now and see how it all shakes out when the roster makes its debut.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/coyotes/articles/2008/07/01/20080701yotes-sauer.html
http://coyotes.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=367788
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/119932
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