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Phoenix Coyotes
Overall: 13
Pacific Division: 4
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| A Roenick (97) resurgence could lift Phoenix. (V.J. Lovero) |
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Jeremy
Roenick is hockey's best player—a dynamic skater, a bruising
checker, a smooth
puckhandler. He is everything you would want a star to be, say
the eight geeks who still own
EA Sports'
NHL '94, a video game in which Roenick was programmed with
every skill imaginable. As for the earth's other
inhabitants....
"I think Jeremy would admit that he
didn't have a great
first half last year," says teammate Rick
Tocchet, who is being polite considering that many hockey
observers feel that Roenick, a four-time All-Star,
performed like a has-been. "We need him to play
all-out, two-way hockey for a full season, like Yzerman or
Fedorov. If he does that, things are
good."
That is a Gorilla
Monsoon-sized
if. Another big question for the Coyotes (35-35-12 last
season) has to do with their captain, star forward Keith
Tkachuk, who reported to the team in late September after a
highly criticized holdout for a contract extension.
The pressure on Tkachuk would be eased if
someone—ahem, Jeremy—steps up to shoulder some of
his load. In '97-98 Roenick had the worst season of his
10-year career, finishing with just 24 goals and 56 points.
In the off-season he abandoned his customary
as-much-golf-as-possible workout for a summer of lifting
weights and running. Roenick, who weighed 170 pounds at the
beginning of last season, is up to 206. "I'm on a team
that can win a lot of games," he says, "but I
have to do my share. I don't think
I'm done just
yet."
Coach Jim Schoenfeld has a solid collection of forwards,
but none who can, like Tkachuk or the Roenick of five years
ago, take over a game. Phoenix improved its defense by
signing free agent Jyrki Lumme, a good move because
goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin
was spotty last season. "If you look at the best
goalies, they're consistent," says Tocchet. "I'd
like to see Niki take that next
step."
If the Coyotes hope to take that next step, Roenick will
need to take a step back in
time.
—By Jeff
Pearlman
Fast Fact
The Coyotes won two playoff games from the Stanley Cup
champion Red Wings last spring, but they still have
the worst postseason winning percentage (.320) of any
current NHL franchise.
Keys To Success
- Phoenix needs to improve its special teams, which were a
disappointing 14th in power-play efficiency and 21st in penalty
killing in the league last season.
- Veteran Rick Tocchet must convince his talented but enigmatic
mates that winning is more fun than padding stats.
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