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Wednesday, June 20, 2001
Phoenix Coyotes
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First-round picks: No. 14
2000-01 record: 35-27-17-3, 90 points (tied for 14th overall)
What they need
With Keith Tkachuk and Joe Juneau gone and Jeremy Roenick set to become an unrestricted free agent, offensive firepower appears to be a priority in the first draft of the Steve Ellman-Wayne Gretzky-Cliff Fletcher regime. Some young defensemen might also be coveted, given the advancing ages of Jyrki Lumme (who will be 35 next season) and Teppo Numminen (who will be 33 next season).
In their system
Last year's first round selection, Boston College (NCAA-Hockey East) center Krys Kolanos (19th overall in '00) had a big sophomore season, scoring 25 goals and 50 points in 41 games. He also scored the game-winning goal in overtime in the national championship game against North Dakota.
The Coyotes' top pick in '99, center Scott Kelman (15th overall), spent last season in Moose Jaw (WHL) after spending three seasons in Seattle. The change seemed to help as Kelman scored 20 goals, a new single-season best for his junior career.
A pair of '98 draftees of note include defenseman Ossi Vaananen (43rd overall in '98), who had a solid rookie season in the NHL, playing in 81 games and recording 16 points and a plus-9 rating, and goalie Patrick DesRochers (14th overall in '98), who won 17 games in 50 appearances with a 3.33 GAA for Springfield of the AHL.
Also at Springfield, defenseman Dan Focht (11th overall in '96) had just six
points and was a minus-11 in 69 games. The former Western League standout (Tri-City and Regina) has spent more time in the ECHL (6 games) during his pro career than the NHL (0 games).
Recent draft history
The Coyotes have selected centers in the first round in each of the past two drafts
after choosing defensemen with three of their previous four first round choices. Of their seven first-round selections since '95, only two -- Shane Doan (7th in '95; 63 pts. in '00-01) and Daniel Briere (24th in '96; 11-4-15 in 30 games in
'00-01) -- spent significant time on the Phoenix roster this past season.
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