Moser Elevating Play as Coyotes Hit the Road 

J.J. Moser took a step back to start the 2023-24 season, making sure to spend time laser-focused on developing his game as he looks to take the next step along with the Arizona Coyotes.

As it turns out, mastering the fundamentals has helped restore his offensive prowess, as well.

Moser, who has seen his time on ice rise from 14:22 in the Coyotes’ season opener to 20:32 against the Kraken on Tuesday, has impressed early in the season, especially as of late. The 23-year-old blueliner, who the Coyotes selected 60th overall at the 2021 NHL Draft, has two goals and three assists in 12 games this season, all of which have come since Oct. 27.

His plus-5 rating is tied for second on the team, alongside forwards Matias Maccelli and Nick Bjugstad, and behind only Sean Durzi’s plus-7 rating, who just happens to be his partner on the blue line.

All of that has helped contribute to Arizona’s 6-5-1 start this season, and it started with a focus on the basics.

“It was just taking a step back to start the season to really focus on being solid defensively and doing those little things that might not be that obvious, just to dial those in and grind those out,” Moser said. “The offensive output, and all that, is following now.”

The Biel-Bienne, Switzerland native has always brought an element of scoring to his game, as he posted nine goals and 21 assists in 48 games as captain of EHC Biel in Switzerland’s National League, the top professional ice hockey league in the country.

Moser brought the prowess with him to the desert starting the season 2021-22 season with the Tucson Roadrunners before earning a promotion to the Coyotes after just 18 AHL games, and has been with the big league club ever since.

Last year, he posted seven goals and 24 assists after playing all 82 games with Arizona, and has become a critical part of the the team's defensive corps, which is collectively allowing the 13th-fewest goals per game this season (2.92).

Moser said his recent offensive production is nice to have, but it has started to re-appear only after buckling down on the fundamentals of the game.

“That’s the challenging part,” Moser said. “When you think about points, and you think about this-and-that, you can get dragged away from those things a little bit. It’s not easy, but it’s exactly what I have to do to stay right there, stay solid defensively, be dialed in on those things, and not let me get dragged away.”

Head coach André Tourigny said Moser’s recent play has been “great for us,” but his growth and development are key to the Coyotes’ long-term success. He said the two have talked at length about how he needs to continue to hone his skills, and not only is Moser receptive – he has taken all of those conversations to heart, from his first NHL goal in 2021 to present day.

“We want him to get to the next level in his game,” Tourigny said. “He takes that really seriously, and he’s a really good pro … . I’m really happy about his attitude, first and foremost, and I think his game improved, too.”

Moser spent some time with last season’s power-play unit, which accounted for three of his four goals, and half of his assists. This season, though, all of his points have come via 5-on-5 play, and Tourigny said his presence is especially critical against top opponents.

Arizona’s coach praised Moser’s transition play, as well as his puck movement and vision, and said those tools will be vital as the team aims to play in meaningful games throughout the winter and spring.

“Mo is a guy who has potential to be a good top-4 defenseman in the NHL, and he needs to be that in order for our team to be successful,” Tourigny said. “If he plays at his best, he’s a really good defenseman, and that helps our team a lot. We need our D to be at their best.”

Moser has been at his best lately, and as luck would have it, it has been in front of his family. His mother, father, and younger brother have been in The Valley to watch him play for the past few weeks, and he said they were in attendance for both of the goals that he scored.

“It’s always cool and fun, also for them, if I can score,” he said. “It’s just good to have them around, not just seeing them over the phone, and it’s even better if you can score and give them a little bit of something to cheer for.”

He and his younger brother remain very close – they are only 18 months apart in age -- and in the age of Zoom and FaceTime, they are able to stay in touch now more than ever. Even so, the annual trip that his family takes from Switzerland to Arizona to see him is always meaningful, and his mom always makes a point to show up with treats in tow.

Moser said he especially misses the chocolate, cheese, and bread from back home.

“Whenever she comes to visit me she likes to bring a couple of Swiss goodies with her for the people here to try,” Moser said with a grin. “She just likes to prepare that and make a little snack for everybody.”

Now primed for the Coyotes’ five-game road trip, Moser is laser-focused on continuing to gel with his teammates while maintaining the progress he has made on the blue line. Not only is he part of a core of skaters that includes Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, Lawson Crouse, Barrett Hayton, Matias Maccelli, and Juuso Välimäki, he’s also finding chemistry with newcomers Logan Cooley, Sean Durzi, Jason Zucker, Alex Kerfoot, and Matt Dumba.

The team is growing and maturing together, and Moser said he’s proud to be part of it.

“Everyone is really dialed in, everyone wants to be part of the journey, even though we know it’s going to be a long journey,” he said. “That’s pretty exciting to know everyone has bought in, wants to be here, and wants to be here for the long run.”