The Coyotes have prospects on the way, but the pressure's on the front office to build up hype in Arizona and push up the standings soon as Adam Proteau examines their hot seat radar.

The NHL Hot Seat Radar is back for another year. After beginning with the Anaheim Ducks, we’re turning our attention to the Arizona Coyotes.

The pressure on NHL players and front-office staff lasts all year long. NHLers take only a few weeks off before they get back in game shape, and before they know it, the regular season begins, and the pressure ratchets up exponentially.

That said, there’s pressure on players at this very moment, and that’s what this hot seat series is focused on: team by team, we’ll identify individuals from every franchise seated on some form of the hot seat. 

One person on each team – player, coach, or GM – will be on the hot seat itself, under extreme pressure to deliver positive results next season or find themselves traded or fired. A person will be on the “warm” seat – a spot where there’s an outside chance their time with the team comes to an end, but a departure isn’t impossible for them. A third player, GM or coach will be placed on the “cold” seat, a label for someone firmly entrenched with the organization and shouldn’t be moved.

Coyotes’ Hot Seat: Bill Armstrong, GM 

Armstrong is coming up on his third anniversary of being hired as Arizona’s GM, and in the overall picture, he’s probably safe in his role. He’s shown he can tear down a roster and convert assets into NHL draft picks and prospects, amassing a whopping 10 second-round picks in the next three drafts. He also secured two first-rounders and four third-rounders in the 2023 draft. 

That said, Armstrong has to put together a playoff-contending team sooner than later.

The Coyotes have made the playoffs just once in the past 10 seasons, and the team’s unclear future in Arizona draws more attention than its on-ice results. That must change, but even with a new roster that includes free-agent signings Alex Kerfoot, Nick Bjugstad Jason Zucker up front and trade acquisition Sean Durzi on defense, the Coyotes are a long shot to contend for a post-season berth. 

Per PuckPedia, Armstrong has more than $9.48 million in salary cap space. Some of that will go to RFAs Jack McBain and Jan Jenik, but it’s unlikely Arizona will spend to the cap ceiling.

That means there’s a good chance the Coyotes sell their pending UFAs by the trade deadline again, which means another year of no playoff games in the greater Phoenix area. Armstrong gets to operate in relative anonymity, but if Arizona doesn’t take a notable step forward, Coyotes fans will be crying out for accountability.

Coyotes majority owner Alex Meruelo was on our hot seat in last summer’s edition of this series. He’ll be feeling the heat once again this coming season as he chooses whether to keep the team in Arizona or relocate it, but the spotlight is on Armstrong to produce an on-ice product worthy of fan attention and emotional investment. 

Armstrong’s done things the right way in rebuilding the lineup, but there’s not nearly enough meat on the bone to call the Coyotes a promising up-and-coming group. They’re coming, but the matter of how far up they come is still very much in question.

Coyotes’ Warm Seat: Jason Zucker, F

After struggling to stay healthy the past few seasons, Zucker had a bounce-back year in 2022-23, posting 27 goals and 48 points in 78 games with Pittsburgh. But the Penguins’ cap crunch forced him to leave the Pens. 

Instead of taking less money to play for a Cup contender, the 31-year-old (who had a cap hit of $5.5 million this past season) signed a $5.3-million deal with the Coyotes. He’ll start the season as a fixture in the Yotes’ top six and provide much-needed offense for Arizona’s young lineup.

That said, it feels like Zucker almost assuredly will be traded at some point in the regular season. He doesn’t have a no-trade or no-move clause in his contract, and that didn’t happen by accident. Armstrong can let Zucker showcase his talents during the year, and then, probably at the trade deadline, he can move Zucker for younger players and/or prospects.

If Zucker struggles, the quality of those younger players or prospects will diminish, but one franchise or another will be convinced it can turn things around for him on a playoff-caliber team. The one-year duration of his contract will make him a rental gamble worth taking. 

Zucker signed with the Coyotes with the business of the game in mind. Once the season begins, he’ll be judged by his on-ice performance and pursued accordingly with another contract he must earn after next season.

Coyotes’ Cold Seat: Clayton Keller, RW

As Arizona’s top point-getter last season with 37 goals and 86 points in 82 games, Keller is the franchise’s best player just coming into his peak seasons. At 5-foot-10, he’s not a physical presence, but he is one of the smartest players of his generation. 

Keller has five seasons left at a $7.15-million cap hit, but that’s a bargain for his skills. If Armstrong put him on the trade market, Keller would garner a gigantic return for the Coyotes. At some point, however, the Coyotes have to build a long-term core about somebody, and Keller is exactly the type of core component Arizona needs for this coming season and many after that.

If Keller’s ascent into becoming one of the league’s top 10 forwards continues, his cap hit will be even more of a steal than it is today. Trading him would be a catastrophe, which is why Keller should feel as comfortable in his particular city as any other elite player in the game. He’s staying in Arizona for the long haul, and it’s time to never let him regret it as the team loads up on prospects.