

If there is one figure who can help the Coyotes focus on what is on the ice and not what is going on in the boardroom, it’s Tocchet, who is entering the final year of his contract. Eric Stephens Arizona Coyotes: Can they recover from another calamitous offseason?

But if things go further south, a real housecleaning will be needed to get them out of the dreaded middle. If their kids make a demonstrative leap forward and Gibson steals games again, maybe there is enough to make a playoff team. Their general manager and coach believe they’ve got a team that isn’t as bad as some may think, and the resistance to a teardown might be warranted when you’ve got several productive veterans, ace goalie John Gibson in his prime and the potential final years of longtime star Ryan Getzlaf. The Ducks have been unwilling to commit to a real rebuild. So now we turn our attention to the games, as The Athletic’s NHL staff looks ahead to the biggest question each team is facing this season: Anaheim Ducks: Which direction is this team headed?
