Three questions facing Arizona Coyotes

NHL.com is providing in-depth analysis for each of its 31 teams from Nov. 16-Dec. 16. Today, three important questions facing the Arizona Coyotes.

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1. Where will the scoring come from?

The Coyotes averaged 2.71 goals per game last season, 23rd in the NHL, and forward Conor Garland (22) was their only player who scored more than 18 goals. They'll have to find more offense without forward Taylor Hall, who signed a one-year contract with the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 11. Hall has averaged 1.05 points per game over the past three seasons.
"I think where we're going to get that number up is by understanding we're going to play our way," center Derek Stepan said. "But at the same time, when we get our opportunities, we need to execute a little bit better with the puck in the offensive zone. When we do get the chance to score, we've got to be sharp and execute and make sure we put it in the back of the net."

2. Can they provide more support in front of goalie Darcy Kuemper?

Kuemper's combined 2.29 goals-against average the past two seasons is second in the NHL behind Ben Bishop of the Dallas Stars (2.23). He faced 334 shots in nine postseason games (37.1 per game), was pulled from Game 4 of the Western Conference First Round after allowing four goals on 22 shots, and gave up six goals on 30 shots in a 7-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche in Game 5 that ended the Coyotes' first Stanley Cup Playoff appearance since 2012.
"I feel like we do a good job without the puck defending and limiting them to chances from the outside," Stepan said. "In my eyes it's when we do get the puck, what we're doing with it and executing and making sure that we're doing all the right things with the puck, so that we can take some pressure off Darcy."

3. Will at least one of their top young players take the next step?

Jakob Chychrun, a 22-year-old defenseman, Clayton Keller, a 22-year-old right wing, and Christian Dvorak, a 24-year-old center, are part of a core group that has been in the Coyotes system long enough to go from being players with potential to top-flight NHL players. Barrett Hayton, a 20-year-old center chosen with the No. 5 pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, scored 66 points (26 goals, 40 assists) in 39 games for Sault Ste. Marie of the Ontario Hockey League in 2018-19 and could provide an offensive spark.
"Now we have to find that 0.3 to 0.5 more goals a game," Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet said. "Can we find 50 goals somewhere from our lineup to give us a margin of error to win a little bit more? You always look at the Stanley Cup champs, they find those plays at the end. They score on that 2-on-1 or that odd-man rush late in the game, one of those star players puts it in the net. We're looking for that kind of weapon to do that for us."