Here is what fans should expect from the Arizona Coyotes going into the 2023-24 season.

ARIZONA COYOTES

Last Year: 28-40-14 (70 points), 7th in the Central Division (failed to make playoffs).

Projected: 7th in the Central

Keys to the season

1. The play of Clayton Keller: Last season, Clayton Keller was outstanding for the Coyotes posting a career high 37 goals, 49 assists and 86 points. The Coyotes will go as far as Keller goes. The 25-year-old forward is the heart and soul of this team and Arizona will need Keller to have another fantastic year if they want to become a playoff contender. Keller will have all the opportunity in the world to have a repeat of last season, as he should continue to play alongside Barrett Hayton and Nick Schmaltz and will be the focal point of the power play.

2. The Emergence of Logan Cooley: The future is now for the Coyotes. Arizona drafted Logan Cooley with the third overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. The 19-year-old center has potential to be an all-star caliber player one day. Cooley will certainly go through some speed bumps over the course of his rookie season but can also be a huge impact player for the Coyotes. If Cooley is able to get acclimated to NHL play quickly and perform at the level of a reliable top-six forward, that would add a huge element to the Coyotes offense.

3. New Acquisitions live up to expectations: The Coyotes were aggressive this offseason acquiring players that will help the team become more competitive including Jason Zucker, Sean Durzi, Matt Dumba, Alexander Kerfoot and Nick Bjugstad. Arizona has not been exposed to playoff hockey over the past couple of seasons but these new additions gets the team closer to postseason hockey. It’s not only on the ice where these players will need to step up but it’s critical they help elevate the culture and mentor the younger players on the team.

Most Likely Scenario: The Coyotes should improve upon its 70-point season but to say they are a playoff team may be a bit far-fetched. Arizona could compete for one of the wild card spots in the Western Conference but even that will certainly be a challenge. Expect the Coyotes to be more competitive but still experience some growing pains as the team continues to progress through its rebuild.

Worst-case Scenario: The worst case scenario for Arizona would be if the team is unable to make improvements from the previous two seasons and remain at the bottom of the Western Conference standings. Yes, the Coyotes are still rebuilding, but at a certain point the team needs to start showing some results in terms of wins.