Is Lauri Korpikoski posed for a bounce back season?

Lauri Korpikoski came to the Arizona Coyotes in the summer of 2009 when the Coyotes traded Enver Lisin to the New York Rangers. After his first season with the Coyotes, Korpi had two very solid seasons in terms of offense. However, after the lockout of 2012 ended, something seemed to change.

Last season was his worst season since he first came to Arizona. Part of that could be attributed to injuries and inconsistent linemates. Last season was a difficult year for most of the team and he never really found a spot that worked for him. Occasionally he would do second line duty with Martin Hanzal and Radim Vrbata, but other times he would be on the third line.

Next season there will likely be a pretty big shakeup to accommodate the incoming rookies like Max Domi and others, so it is difficult to predict what Korpikoski's role will be next season. He is a speedy winger, a trait he can parlay into a spot with a set-up man like Domi, or he could end up back on the lower lines with a less offensive role.

Korpikoski is currently in the second year of his four-year, $10 million contract, with his final year paying him $3 million. That amount of money does carry a greater expectation for performance, expectations which his 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons suggest he can meet. It remains to be seen if he is able to generate more offense next season.