The Arizona Coyotes begin their 2021-22 campaign on Thursday evening at Nationwide Arena against the Columbus Blue Jackets. This season is a particularly exciting one for Coyote fans, as it is the first NHL season that Arizona residents can legally bet on. A little betting action adds excitement to every sporting event, and hockey fans in Arizona should be ready to take advantage of all betting options that are now available.
The 2021-22 version of the Coyotes finished the preseason with a 5-1 record, and they are looking to carry that momentum into the regular season. It could be an uphill battle, as the Coyotes play in a stacked Western Conference full of veteran teams. It is a bit of a rebuilding year for Arizona, but they have a core of young talent that is capable of surprising some people.
The Andre Tourigny Era Begins
On July 1, 2021, the Coyotes named Andre Tourigny as their new head coach. The veteran NHL and Team Canada assistant coach signed a three-year contract with the organization, and he is tasked with leading a young core of players through a tough Western Conference and Central Division.
Tourigny previously served as an assistant coach with the Colorado Avalanche from 2013-15 and the Ottawa Senators from 2015-16. He is the 19th head coach in Coyotes franchise history.
With the trade of Oliver-Ekman Larsson to the Vancouver Canucks, Tourigny’s first season at the helm will begin without an on-ice captain. Ekman-Larsson donned the “C” on his sweater for the last three seasons. Arizona’s three alternate captains will be Jakob Chychrun, Lawson Crouse, and Andrew Ladd.
Arizona Coyotes Season Outlook
This offseason not only yielded the Coyotes a new head coach but with a ton of new skaters. Notable names that departed Arizona over the summer include Ekman-Larsson, Conor Garland, Alex Goligoski, and Christian Dvorak. New additions to the roster include Ryan Dzingel, Conor Timmins, Anton Stralman, Antoine Roussel, Loui Erikkson, and Shayne Gostisbehere.
Arizona’s offense ranked 23rd last season with just 2.68 goals per game. They did not generate a lot of scoring chances, ranking 29th out of 31 NHL teams with 27.5 shots per game. However, the power play was effective at times, ranking 13th in the league (20.8%). Despite the low-scoring offense, there were some bright spots.
23-year-old Jakob Chychrun led all NHL defensemen with 18 goals. He also tied Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks for 10th in points with 41 in 56 games. The Coyotes will be looking for Chychrun to take another step forward this season, and help to provide a stable blue line now that Ekman-Larsson is gone.
Fellow 23-year-old Clayton Keller will also be looking to progress in his development at the NHL level in 2021-22. Keller entered the league as an 18-year-old in 2016, and he is entering his fifth full season. The St. Louis native tallied 14 goals and 21 assists (35 points) in 56 games last season. Arizona is hoping he can regain some of his 2017-18 success where he posted career highs in goals (23), assists (42), and points (65).
Goaltending Situation
Perhaps the most intriguing storyline for the Coyotes this season is between the pipes. Darcy Kuemper, Adin Hill, and Antti Raanta are now all with different organizations. Kuemper was traded to the Colorado Avalanche on July 28, and Raanta signed a two-year contract with the Carolina Hurricanes on the same day. Hill was traded to the San Jose Sharks, leaving the Coyotes to find some new netminders. Kuemper, Hill, and Raanta combined for 58 appearances in Arizona’s 56 games last season.
Prospect Ivan Prosvetov is the only returning netminder who played with the Coyotes last season. He appeared in just three games and will continue his development with Tuscon of the American Hockey League to begin the 2021-22 season. However, it seems likely that he will be up with the Coyotes at some point this season.
Veteran netminder Carter Hutton is slated to be Arizona’s No. 1 goaltender this season. After a disappointing tenure in Buffalo, Hutton is looking for greener pastures in Arizona. Hutton posted a combined record of 31-49-10 in three seasons with the Sabres, including a rough 1-10-1 record last season. He never saw his save percentage go above .908, and his goals-against average was 3.12.
Perhaps the change of scenery benefits the 35-year-old UMass Lowell alum. Hutton posted a career-best .931 SV% and 2.09 GAA in 2017-18 while in St. Louis. Staying healthy will be a key factor in Hutton’s success, as he missed chunks of the last two seasons with injuries.
Youngster Josef Korenar is also slated to see some action in the crease this season. The 23-year-old Czech came to Arizona from San Jose in the Adin Hill trade this summer. He played in 10 games as a rookie last season, going 3-5 with a .899 SV% and 3.17 GAA.
Arizona Coyotes Sports Betting Odds
There are many ways to bet on the NHL with the various sports betting platforms that are available in Arizona. In addition to betting on individual games, one of the most popular avenues of NHL betting is in the futures market.
Arizona bettors can bet on the future winner of the 2022 Stanley Cup right now on every online sportsbook within the state. In addition, you can bet on division and conference winners. With a young team and a first-year head coach with a rebuilding approach, the Coyotes have the fourth-longest odds to win the Stanley Cup on most online sportsbooks.
The chart below shows how the odds stack up on the various sportsbooks for the Coyotes this season:
Arizona Coyotes Futures Bets | To Win Central Division | To Win Western Conference | To Win Stanley Cup |
---|---|---|---|
DraftKings | +30000 | +10000 | +20000 |
FanDuel | +10000 | +4100 | +10000 |
BetMGM | +20000 | +10000 | +15000 |
Caesars | +15000 | +8000 | +15000 |
PointsBet | +15000 | +1000 | +1000 |
Arizona is also +800 to make the playoffs on FanDuel.
Another popular way to dive into the NHL futures market is with regular-season point totals. These odds and lines can vary across different sportsbooks, so be sure to shop around to see which lines are available.
On DraftKings, Arizona’s point total is listed at 67.5 (OV -125, UN +105). Over at FanDuel, the total is a bit higher at 69.5 (OV +100, UN -122).
With all of the roster turnover, it’s hard to predict what this season will look like for the Coyotes. This is a team with a lot of new faces, and they only have six preseason games of experience playing together. It will be interesting to see how the season unfolds for the Arizona Coyotes.
All odds used were available at time of publishing on Tuesday, October 12.