Arizona Coyotes have sunnier outlook coming into 2023 NHL training camp
Often focused on building teams set for the future, this season’s Arizona Coyotes team has a different feeling.
The Coyotes had a more productive offseason than expected and went after some of the top free agents in a smaller free-agent class with forwards Jason Zucker and Alex Kerfoot joining defenseman Matt Dumba. Sean Durzi was added via trade to address the depth concerns on defense. Last year’s surprise performers Troy Stecher and Nick Bjugstad returned via free agency after being traded at the deadline.
A new crop of veterans joining the young, budding players in Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz shows a promise for a team that’s been locked into a rebuild.
“I feel like we are farther ahead now than I thought we would be. Do I think we’re a playoff team? No,” general manager Bill Armstrong said. “But I do think we are a competitive team that can push to play meaningful games. There’s an excitement level and you can feel it in the air when you’re around our players. They’re excited together. It’s the first time that the handcuffs have been taken off the team.”
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On the organizational level, head coach Andre Tourigny and his coaching staff received extensions. Armstrong, the orchestrator of the offseason, was also rewarded with an extension.
Dumba’s 10-year career with the Minnesota Wild included 598 career games and 49 playoff games. His deep experience makes him valuable for a young Coyotes defense. Dumba, along with Zucker and Stecher, signed one-year deals, which won’t give them a large margin of error.
“I love that this team has a lot of guys in similar positions on one-year contracts and something to prove,” Dumba said. “I feel that if we can all carry that energy and really hone in on that team atmosphere, together will come team success and individual success.”
With the preseason set to begin early on Sept. 23 and 24 in Australia, the Coyotes are moving quicker than usual through training camp. The lengthy flight and 10-day trip will be something many haven’t experienced before, but it has a chance to bond the newer players.
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“The culture here is great and I think there’s a lot of excitement around the team right now,” Kerfoot said. “You see here it today. You see it on the ice with the young guys coming in. Everyone looks really good on the ice. There’s lots of skill on this team. I think it’s a fun group to be a part of with what they’ve done in the summer and that just adds to it.”
Even with the veteran additions, the youth of the team is still a main factor. Zucker came in from a veteran-heavy Pittsburgh Penguins team and didn’t realize how young the Coyotes were until he met his teammates.
“I think this is a fun challenge,” Zucker said. “The youthful energy is definitely noticeable in the locker room and that makes it a lot of fun. It’s a little bit different lifestyles. I’m talking to guys about kids and my daughter is not much younger than a few of these guys. It’s a little bizarre in that sense, but overall, it’s fun.”
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Coyotes have sunnier outlook coming into 2023 training camp
