The NHL offseason is well underway, and there have been some big moves made around the league. Earlier in July, it was announced that the Arizona Coyotes signed Bjugstad in a move that didn’t draw a ton of attention.
Nick Bjugstad comes to Arizona from the Minnesota Wild, and this move isn’t one that will impact many NHL matchups next season.
Coyotes Requires Improvement
The question is if this was a good move for the Coyotes, but it’s not even a move that is going to have a major impact on the ice.
The Arizona Coyotes need plenty of help on both offense and defense, but Bjugstad barely found a way to fill up the stat sheet a season ago.
Bjugstad has just 13 total points in 57 games for the Minnesota Wild in 2021-22, and it’s not going to be a big addition.
Coyotes’ Playoff Expectations
NHL expert picks aren’t going to feature the Arizona Coyotes as a playoff team for the upcoming season, and there are other moves that need to be made.
Adding a veteran presence to the roster can be viewed as a solid move for the Coyotes, but it’s not one that will have a big impact.
Understanding this Move Impact
In order to get a better idea of how this move might impact the Coyotes, it’s important to look back at the 2021-22 season.
It was a pretty rough and miserable season for Arizona, and it was one that landed them one of the top picks in the NHL Draft.
Arizona’s 2021-22 Season Recap
Arizona recorded just 57 total points during the 2021-22 season, and they had a negative goal differential of 106 total goals. The Coyotes were not only bad, but they weren’t even competitive most of the time.
The Coyotes finished in last place in the Central Division, and the news headline “Coyotes sign Bjugstad,” won’t exactly strike fear in the opponents in the Western Conference.
Arizona has some serious work to do if they want to climb out of the basement of the Central Division and more work to do if they want to compete beyond that.
2022 NHL Odds
The NHL betting odds are already out for the 2022-23 season, and those odds will give you a good idea of what the experts might think of this move.
NHL betting stats from last season impact the odds, but they are also impacted by off-season moves. When Bjugstad signed with the Coyotes, there was no real movement in the odds, and that tells you how little this signing might impact things.
Arizona is still a long shot to compete in the Central Division, and making the playoffs still seems like a near impossibility.
Where Does Arizona Stand at the Odds?
Arizona currently has betting odds set at +24000 to win the Central Division in 2022-23, and that is the same odds that the Chicago Blackhawks had.
That’s not a good sign for the Coyotes, as the Blackhawks have been open and honest about the fact that this season will be a rebuild.
It doesn’t help the Coyotes that they are in the Central Division, as this might be the best division in the NHL.
Avalanche’s Control
The Colorado Avalanche are in control of the Central, and that team just went on to win the Stanley Cup last season.
Njugstad does give the Coyotes some postseason experience, but that isn’t really a skill that is needed in Arizona as he isn’t likely to reach the playoffs.
Bjugstad Won’t Move the Needle
The move to sign Bjugstad by the Coyotes is not going to make anyone think twice when making NHL betting picks, but it is a move that should be celebrated by this franchise.
It’s always a good thing to sign someone with NHL experience, and it does show that the Coyotes are at least making an effort to improve.
Coyotes Fans Can be Happy
Fans of the Coyotes can be happy with this move, but they should also be demanding that more moves are on the way.
Simply stopping at signing Bjugstad isn’t going to move the needle a ton, but he is a player that will spend plenty of time on the ice in 2022-23.
Arizona will have to make some big splashes in the offseason to be competitive during the upcoming season, and this isn’t one of them.
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