Coyotes Roster: Will Team Be Competitive After Potential Move To Salt Lake?
Apr 11, 2024, 1:57 PM | Updated: 3:08 pm
TEMPE, ARIZONA - MARCH 07: Clayton Keller #9 of the Arizona Coyotes skates with the puck during the third period of the NHL game at Mullett Arena on March 07, 2024 in Tempe, Arizona. The Wild defeated the Coyotes 5-2.ˆ (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – As this NHL season winds down and we start looking at what could be a crazy off-season for the Coyotes and hockey fans in Utah, let’s look at what it would take to make the team that missed the playoffs again an actual contender.
With lots of news regarding the strong possibility of the Coyotes relocating to Salt Lake City and the NHL having a version of next season’s schedule with the Coyotes playing in Utah, it’s natural for fans to start thinking about the roster and potential future rosters of the team.
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So far this season, the Coyotes have 34 wins, 40 losses and 5 losses in overtime, giving them 73 points on the season with 3 games left to play. For this season, they would have needed around 90 points for a wildcard spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Arizona Coyotes & NHL Salary Cap
The NHL salary cap for the 2023-24 season was $83.5 million, and the floor was $61.7 million. The Coyote’s salary this season was $78,112,174, leaving them roughly $5.5 million in cap space. Next year the cap is expected to go up another $4 million.
After this season, the two highest-paid players on the Coyotes will be Clayton Keller at $7,150,000 and Shea Weber.
Keller, the 2016 7th overall pick, has been almost a point-per-game player for the Coyotes this season, which really says something with as bad as this team has been at times. Keller is under contract until the 27-28 season.
Clayton Keller stays hot. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/euGRqWKWHS
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 8, 2024
Weber is a legendary defenseman with an even more legendary shot. He is under contract until the 2025-26 season.
Almost the entire rest of the Coyotes Defense will have their contracts expire after this season, which makes room for ownership to create something special.
Goaltenders Connor Ingram ($1.9 million per season) and Karel Vejmelka ($2.725 million per season) each remain under contract, and each put up decent numbers this season. Either goalie could take off as a legit starting goalie next season.
How many draft picks do the Coyotes have?
The Coyotes have 34 draft picks in the next three years, 3 first-rounders, and a bunch of second-rounders.
The Coyotes have historically found ways to rid themselves of talented players as they get good enough to earn bigger paychecks. Still, in doing so, they have really stacked their deck with a deep pool of talented prospects and a lot of up-and-coming draft picks.
Combine those two facts with cap space, the possibility of putting a good team on the ice with new ownership is a strong one.
Even without hitting the top of the cap, this team could easily be a playoff contender with a chance at making a deeper run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Puck Report is a podcast all about Utah hockey, from interviews with NHL stars to which Grizzlies players are about to take the next step, Utah Puck Report has everything for a Utah hockey fan. Find it wherever you find podcasts or on KSLSports.com. The show is hosted by KSL Sports’ hockey insider, Jay Stevens. You can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
