A bus filled with Tucson Roadrunners players, coaches and other team personnel pulled away from Tucson Arena on Monday at roughly 1 p.m. for the club’s latest road trip.
The potential significance of that departure time: That was about an hour after the NHL’s noon trade deadline, ensuring the Roadrunners were hitting Interstate 10 with more or less the roster it intends to put on the ice for a 7 p.m. Wednesday tilt at San Diego.
AHL players are often trade bait this time of year. NHL teams may be trying to dump salary, prep for a playoff run, stockpile draft picks or glean new prospects likely to contribute in future seasons.
But despite a number of moves executed leading up to the deadline by Coyotes’ general manager Bill Armstrong, the deadline ultimately came and went without much upheaval to the Roadrunners immediate roster.
If anything, the moves expected to impact the Coyotes most immediately may just help solidify Tucson’s lineup down the stretch.
That includes the acquisition of college standouts Jack McBain and Nathan Smith, with the Coyotes giving up second- and fourth-round picks, respectively, in the upcoming 2022 NHL draft.
McBain, a center from Boston College, led the Eagles in scoring with 19 goals and 33 points this season. The Coyotes signed him to a two-year entry deal Monday after acquiring him from Minnesota.
Smith, acquired from Winnipeg, finished his regular season for Minnesota State as the nation’s second-leading point producer after posting 18 goals and 49 points. He’s not on contract yet, as the Mavericks enter the NCAA Division I tournament this month as the No. 2 overall seed.
The Coyotes may test out McBain, recovering from injury at the moment, and Smith, once his college season ends, at the NHL level first. But the extended AHL calendar into late April may include both ending up in Tucson. And if not this season, it shouldn’t be a surprise if both spend at least some time next season with the Roadrunners.
In other moves, The Coyotes’ dealt goaltender Scott Wedgewood, bringing up the question of whether Roadrunners’ netminders Ivan Prosvetov might get another extended NHL call-up. In fact, it was Tucson’s Josef Kořenář who was brought up to the Coyotes for at least a game early this week.
But the NHL club also claimed goalie Harri Säteri, a veteran of three previous NHL stints and nine total games at that level, but with a load of international experience, off waivers from Toronto. Säteri, who helped Finland to the gold medal at the recent 2022 Beijing Olympics by going 5-0 with a 1.00 goals-against-average, will likely share time or back up Karel Vejmelka down the stretch.
Translation: Prosvetov, fifth among AHL goalies in games played and minutes this season, is likely to continue shouldering the load in goal for the Roadrunners as his own game continues to develop. Prosvetov has made an appearance in 12 straight’ games, starting 11 of those, and has played some of his best hockey in months over the last two weeks.
Carcone returns — briefly — to snag record
Coyotes alternate captain and leading goal scorer Michael Carcone was not on the bus to San Diego, recalled yet again to the Coyotes after a two-game return last week to Tucson.
That return, however, netted Carcone his 24th goal of the season (and an assist, to boot), giving him Tucson’s all-time record to date for most goals scored by a player in a single season.
Whether Carcone builds on that is to be determined; the Coyotes may just elect to keep the 25-year-old for the remainder of the season.
But his goal Friday helped the Roadrunners earn the only win in their last eight tries, a 4-3 shootout win in which Carcone potted the eventual shootout winner, too.
Jenik looks, plays the part
With Carcone and Tucson leading point producer Matias Maccelli with the Coyotes, Tucson forward Jan Jenik has taken over in many respects as the club’s go-to offensive threat.
Jenik has 12 points in his last 12 games, including a pair of assists this past weekend at home where he was forced to wear a full clear face shield that extended to his chin — not unlike college players or those who are under 18 wear at the junior hockey level.
Jenik injured his nose last Wednesday in a 4-0 home loss to San Jose, and said he’s been told he may have to wear the full face shield — that’s opposed to the typical half-visor worn virtually league-wide — the rest of the season.
“I went with the bubble, but I did not like it,” Jenik said Friday after his assist and shootout goal helped Tucson to a win over San Jose. “It’s definitely hard to breathe out of it and — ugh — it’s just not it.
“At least,” he added, “it looks good, right?”
