John Chayka: "We’re probably the most improved team in the league.”

[Ryan Michaels]

Very few people did that and the rest of the forum reacted with the usual vitriol.

Don't move the goalposts to "bragging." If any other GM said this, people would just assume he meant over the course of the year. But it's Chayka.

Bragging or not if I was a Coyotes fan putting any kind of positive spin on a year that was supposed to be much better would be a tough pill to swallow. If anything people want them to be the legitimate most improved team next year. And Chayka praise was not by "very few people", there are a couple who got carried away obviously with the "top 3" garbage but for the most part everyone liked his moves, Hell I liked his moves short of the 7th overall trade. But this is a comment anyone would be called out for.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

They finished 30th in the league in GF and 22nd in GA.

The season prior the Coyotes were 27th in GF and 28th in GA.

They cut down their GA by 4 goals. Hence, they're the most improved team in the NHL.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

BTW, in the second half of the season, the Coyotes were 19-22.

Maybe the apologists can spin that as a positive.

 

[Ryan Michaels]

Because advanced stats

And yeah Chayka is being bashed here because "advanced stats" which hfboards hates meanwhile the guy who traded for Shea "most likely to have stolen Machinehead's girlfriend" Weber is getting beaten in like a pinata for his exit interview, which by the way is the very antithesis of advanced stats as he basically blames his season on intangibles and character.

 

[not a troll]

He's right. Growing pains at the start but their roster is solid. With a few tweaks in the offseason, they could be easily in the playoffs next year.

I feel like that's said about the Coyotes every season since 2012.

 

[Seanaconda]

The yotes were the most improved team in the second half once rannta started playing

Team couldnt win with dom in net

From last year its obv the aves but when the coyotes got healthy they were a good team

 

[IPreferPi]

BTW, in the second half of the season, the Coyotes were 19-22.

Maybe the apologists can spin that as a positive.

Things I learned: 20-14-7 isn't better than 9-27-5 (which was the Yotes' record on 1/1/18).

 

[Mr Hockey]

most improved at what, they finished "3rd" last, did he think going into the season they would finish last OV?

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Things I learned: 20-14-7 isn't better than 9-27-5 (which was the Yotes' record on 1/1/18).

Things I learned, people on here judge a team's overall performance by cherrypicking dates to pump their team's performance, even when they finish with a pitiful 70 points, the same exact number of points and one overall win less than the year prior.

Whatever helps you sleep at night.

 

[valet]

they weren't the most improved (see avs, devil's) but they looked good in the second half

Definitely absurd to say that they were easily the most improved but they did improbe quite a bit, they just need a franchise caliber offensive talent of some some other nuts and bolts

 

[Plub]

Funny claim to make when you consider the fact that the Coyotes finished this season with the exact same amount of points as they did last season with 70. Oh, and they had one less win this season than the year prior.

Maybe there's some advanced stat that makes him feel better about the job he is doing? Regardless of that, it's a rather silly comment to make when you look at how much teams like the Avs and Devils improved compared to last season.

Someone (you) didn't look into this very much as you tripped over yourself to trash the Coyotes. Look at their record over the last 4 months. Look up the word improvement.

 

[IPreferPi]

Things I learned, people on here judge a team's overall performance by cherrypicking dates to pump their team's performance, even when they finish with a pitiful 70 points, the same exact number of points and one overall win less than the year prior.

Whatever helps you sleep at night.

Only concepts such as "comparing the first 41 games of the season with the final 41 games of a season" would be controversial on HF. But whatever. I sleep fine at night given that between the two of us, I'm not the one clearly in need of an irrigation of a specific nature.

 

[Hennessy]

From how they started the season to how they finished it, yes. I assume that was his point, otherwise he's dopey.

 

[Dr Pepper]

Well they certainly rebounded after a pathetic start to the season.

 

[CrashBartley]

He shouldn't have to say it. People are massively reaching here.

Yes he should have to state what criteria he is using. If he is just picked a specific time frame they were the best, state that. Because otherwise anyone can find a time frame and a statistic to prove anything.

 

[tucker3434]

Yes hfboards HATES advanced stats that's why everyone prematurely gave Chayka credit and expected much better out of the Coyotes this season. Any gm who was caught bragging about anything in a year ending press conference where his team blew is going to get ridiculed. I mean good for them for playing better down the stretch I still really need to see people's standing predictions for next year if they think playoffs are in the cards.

Hfboards doesn’t like it when a GM tries to sidestep ownership of an objectively bad season, regardless of who it is. Granted, getting just the one quote, it could be totally out of context. He may very well have taken his lumps in his next sentence for all we know.

 

[Machinehead]

Yes he should have to state what criteria he is using. If he is just picked a specific time frame they were the best, state that. Because otherwise anyone can find a time frame and a statistic to prove anything.

It was obvious if you watched the interview

 

[rent free]

How can he be right?

In 2016-17, the Coyotes finished 3rd last; 28 out of 30. In 2017-18, the Coyotes finished 3rd last; 29 out of 31. They improved by 0 spots.

In 2016-17, the Avalanched finished last; 30 out of 30. In 2017-18, the Avalanched finished 17 out of 31. They improved by 14 spots.

I never took a math class after grade 11, but I think the analysis would indicate Johnny is wrong.

he is referring to the course of the season i believe.

 

[EdmFlyersfan]

It's probably what his excel spreadsheet told him after he hit the "enter" key...

 

[rent free]

BTW, in the second half of the season, the Coyotes were 19-22.

Maybe the apologists can spin that as a positive.

at least it wasn't as abysmal as their first half of the season

 

[Healthy DiPietro]

Just saying last year the Avs were dead last, could'nt trade duchenne, MacKinnon was a disappointment and everying ducks fir them.

There's some interesting similarities between the 16/17 Avs and the 17/18 Coyotes. They both lost their starting goalie and a top pairing defenseman for large chunks of the season, and both are two of the youngest teams in the league.

If Arizona stays healthy, guys like Keller and Chychrun continue to improve, and they land a top 5 pick in the draft I wouldn't be surprised if they made a similar comeback as Colorado did this season.

 

[MessierII]

There's some interesting similarities between the 16/17 Avs and the 17/18 Coyotes. They both lost their starting goalie and a top pairing defenseman for large chunks of the season, and both are two of the youngest teams in the league.

If Arizona stays healthy, guys like Keller and Chychrun continue to improve, and they land a top 5 pick in the draft I wouldn't be surprised if they made a similar comeback as Colorado did this season.

Whos their Nate Mckinnon who’s going to throw the team on his back offensively? Yotes are not Colorado.

 

[Super Hans]

I got a "Most Improved Student" ribbon one time as a kid. I was the same smelly kid I was the year before, but I at least stopped pooping my pants after I came back from Christmas break. Those good ole high school memories take me back.

 

[BlueBaron]

How can he be right?

In 2016-17, the Coyotes finished 3rd last; 28 out of 30. In 2017-18, the Coyotes finished 3rd last; 29 out of 31. They improved by 0 spots.

In 2016-17, the Avalanched finished last; 30 out of 30. In 2017-18, the Avalanched finished 17 out of 31. They improved by 14 spots.

I never took a math class after grade 11, but I think the analysis would indicate Johnny is wrong.

He did not say "We are the team with the most improved record" so I think you are being a bit anal. If they had gelled sooner they'd be a playoff team, the product they had at the end of the season was pretty good. So it depends on how one looks at it. If you look at the Yotes that ended the season last year vs the team that ended this one he has a good case.

Based on what OEL said the other day it looks like the future is finally bright for this team, good for them. Their fans have suffered long enough.

 

[HandshakeLineRespect]

Pretty sure chayka is elite.