There likely will be a training camp battle for two spots on the bottom line among Lawson Crouse, Nick Cousins, Mario Kempe and Josh Archibald. Crouse, 21, took a step back last season, scoring one goal in 11 games after playing in 72 games with Arizona in 2016-17. Cousins, 25, had NHL career highs in goals (12) and points (19) in 71 games last season. Kempe, who turns 20 on Sept. 19, had four points (two goals, two assists) in four games last season. Archibald, 25, played three games for the Coyotes last season.
On defense, the top six returns from last season (Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Jason Demers, Alex Goligoski, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Jakob Chychrun, Kevin Connauton). The remaining defensemen on the roster from 2017-18 played a combined 18 games. Jordan Oesterle, acquired with Vinnie Hinostroza in a trade from the Chicago Blackhawks on July 12, could be the seventh defenseman after he had NHL career highs in goals (five) and points (15) in 55 games last season.