from Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports,
Arizona is 6-2-2 in its last 10 games, it is 9-1-2 against the Pacific (the best intra-division mark in the NHL) and it will play 14 of its next 18 games at Gila River Arena, where it is 8-2-2 in its last 12 games.
In what is still a rebuilding year, the Coyotes are achieving their preseason goal of competing for a playoff spot, they are achieving their preseason goal of displaying organizational growth and they have re-energized a fan base that was reaching for medication to mitigate last season’s 56-point free fall.
The Coyotes have earned the right to add pieces to this roster to push them over the playoff hump. The trick will be finding pieces that don’t compromise the future for a short-term fix on what is still not a Stanley Cup contender.
“We’re still right in the middle of this playoff race but I don’t think we should be lobbing out top prospects to make ourselves a little better right now,” general manager Don Maloney said. “It’s a fine line you walk to say ‘let’s add a couple pieces to give us a better chance’ when that also means sending a young player to the sidelines or to another team. It’s a constant juggling act to continue to bring this team along.”
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