Coyotes assign Kyle Capobianco to Roadrunners

In a move that likely means Jordan Oesterle is close to returning, the Arizona Coyotes have assigned defenseman Kyle Capobianco to the AHL to play with the Tucson Roadrunners.

The Coyotes had recalled Capobianco on October 14th after Niklas Hjalmarsson’s fibula was fractured while blocking a shot. Not three days after Capobianco was recalled Jordan Oesterle was injured when he was struck in the head with a puck. After Oesterle was injured the Coyotes would recall Aaron Ness, a free agent signing who lea the AHL in points by defensemen with 55.

Capobianco has played in six games with the Coyotes and scored a goal against the Ottawa Senators. His last game was against New Jersey, which saw him limited to 10:05. Ness played in the Coyotes last two games, playing 11:58 against the Montreal Canadiens and 10:38 against the Buffalo Sabres.

When looking at why Capobianco was sent down over Ness it’s important to remember that Ness would have to clear waivers, while Capobianco does not. It will be interesting to see what happens when both Hjalmarsson and Oesterle are healthy, although we will likely need to wait a fair amount of time for that.