The first half of the coyotes season is what happens when you change coach/system and have virtually zero practice time due to scheduling. A lot of people are underestimating the impact of this. The second half coyotes are more indicative of the team, I think we are going to surprise a lot of people this year.
I hope you are correct. I think our D core being injured, lack of consistent goal tending, many young players, and Tocc trying to make our team play like Pitt is the combination that killed us first 20 games. Tocc changed his strategy at the 20-25 game mark, our D eventually got healthy and Raanta was lights out the last 30 games, and our record improved.
Our key this year is Raanta playing well and not being injured, we need 60 games out of him at a high level. we can't expect Vezina quality like the last 20 games, but he needs to be a top 10 goal tender. Also, our D core , which I think is very good, needs to stay healthy. Our Pk needs to be top 10 also and our PP needs to at least be mid pack. If our D and goal tending can keep our GAA down, we have a playoff shot. It is still too early to know if we turn it around like Colorado, 90-100 points, or wind up a 75-85 point team with just a slight improvement, or somehow be a 70 point team again (I don't see that this year). We are due for a better then expected year.
Some of the young players will have good years and others will regress, again, just too hard to say, it's the nature of young players, they lack consistency. I wouldn't count on young guys making major improvements as a key to our success. Strome could be a 50 point 2C this year or a bust and still in the AHL, or somewhere in between, its anyones guess, 50/50 shot of either.
It should be a fun year with lots of hope, I'm looking forward to it