What Coyotes are likely to hit the 20 goal mark this upcoming season

Last season the Arizona Coyotes did not have a single player who scored at least twenty goals. Hopefully, that won’t be the case next season, as a stagnant offense was likely the biggest factor in the team missing the playoffs.

Part of the low goal count could be attributed to injuries, both to players themselves as well as negatively impacting player chemistry. The other part was likely due to a lack of high end talent, which the Coyotes have attempted to address with one big name signing.

Phil Kessel

Last Season: 27-55-82 in 82 games

Best Season: 37-45-82 in 82 games

Kessel was brought in to score goals, full stop. If he doesn’t hit at least twenty then something is wrong. He has managed to score at least twenty since his sophomore season with the Boston Bruins during the 2007-08 season. Of everyone on this list, he is the favorite to lead the team in goals next season.

Clayton Keller

Last Season: 14-33-47 in 82 games

Best Season: 23-42-65 in 82 games

Keller recently signed to a $57.2 million, eight-year deal with Coyotes based largely on the success of his rookie season. After experiencing a sophomore slump last season he seems poised to have a bounce-back year and prove he is worth the deal. The team needs Keller to be one of the best players on the team and hitting at least twenty is key to that.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Last Season: 14-30-44 in 81 games

Best Season: 23-20-43 in 82 games

While he hasn’t done it as much lately, OEL can score goals. He hit the twenty goal plateau twice, in 2014-15 and 2015-16. It seems like the team wants more offense from their defense and Oliver Ekman-Larsson is the best player on the team to generate that offense.

Nick Schmaltz

Last Season: 7-18-25 in 40 games

Best Season: 21-31-52 in 78 games

When the Coyotes traded Dylan Strome for Schmaltz the team wanted to get a player who can play a top six role. Schmaltz has a solid sophomore season and in Arizona he was on pace to break twenty goals. Like Keller, Schmaltz also signed a big long term contract and expectations for Schmaltz are high.

Michael Grabner

Last Season: 9-7-16 in 41 games

Best Season: 27-13-40 in 76 games

After missing half the season with an eye injury, Grabner is another player who seems poised for a bounce-back season. In the previous two seasons, he scored 27 goals and if he hadn’t been injured there is a good chance that he would have broken twenty again last season. Grabner was key to the Coyotes’ successful penalty kill, with six of his nine goals scored short-handed.

Conor Garland

Last Season: 13-5-18 in 47 games

Best Season: Last season

Garland did a lot in a short amount of time last season. If he had spent the full season with the Coyotes there is a chance he could have hit twenty goals. He had a knack for getting to the right spots on the ice and converting, even if the puck has to go in off his face. He may end up experiencing a sophomore slump next season, but hopefully, his hard work and willingness to play to the net will be rewarded again next season.

Vinnie Hinostroza

Last Season: 16-23-39 in 72 games

Best Season: Last season

Hinostroza has been steadily improving since breaking into the NHL. Last season he set a career high in games played, goals scored, and assists, and he will hopefully be able to build off that for next season. His shooting percentage was high last season at 10.5% so there is a chance he will regress next season, but hopefully, he will continue to improve.