Chayka applauds Tocchet, Coyotes for ability to stay in playoff race

BOCA RATON, Fla. -- There is no way of discussing the Arizona Coyotes' season without mentioning their rather robust list of injuries.

The Coyotes have 313 man games lost to injury. It's a problem that worsened Thursday, when do-everything center Derek Stepan was lost to a lower-body injury that will keep him out 4-6 weeks, meaning he might not play again in the regular season.
That Stepan could still return for the Stanley Cup Playoffs is bordering on remarkable considering the injuries Arizona has dealt with this season, including potential season-enders to goalie Antti Raanta (lower body), and forwards Nick Schmaltz (lower body) and Michael Grabner (eye).
The Coyotes, who have won six straight and are 9-2-0 in their past 11 games, trail the Minnesota Wild by two points for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Western Conference with a game in hand.
Arizona hosts the Anaheim Ducks at Gila River Arena on Tuesday (9 p.m. ET; FS-A, PRIME, NHL.TV). The Coyotes will move into a playoff position by virtue of playing fewer games if they win and the Wild lose in regulation against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN).
Coyotes general manager John Chayka discussed the Coyotes' season and their injuries in a discussion with NHL.com from the NHL General Managers meetings on Monday:

On subtracting Stepan at a key time:
"It's a blow, yeah, but we've had a lot of blows this year and been able to overcome the adversity. It's definitely another piece of that [adversity]. Step was playing really well for us. He was scoring some big goals, his game was really coming on. We've put him in some really tough spots all year and that might have even contributed to some degree the injury. We had him running so hard in all situations. Heavy minutes, playing top lines, he's done it all and sacrificed some of his point production to play in those situations, so to lose him is tough. But we get [Christian] Dvorak back. [Jason] Demers will be back here. He just finished his conditioning stint. Raanta is back on the ice skating, so you lose some and you hopefully get some back."
On the return of Dvorak from a season-long injury one game before they lose Stepan to an injury:
"We were hoping it would be addition, but hopefully it keeps us where we were which is a same type of player in the sense that he's a smart, cerebral, 200-foot player who makes other players better. He's good defensively, can help offensively. We added him and unfortunately subtracted Step."
On when Raanta will return:
"The timeline is still probably not coming back for the regular season. Obviously, once you get in the playoffs maybe that changes things. Really he's kind of week-to-week at this point, just going through the process and we'll see where we get to."

On all the injuries and how the Coyotes have managed to be two points out of playoff position:
"It's a great question. I think it comes down to leadership. The coach is the ultimate leader and Rick Tocchet has done a phenomenal job of keeping everyone on task and being optimistic. There are sometimes when you look at the lineup and it's tough; you're missing core pieces. It's not just the injuries even though we lead the League in man games lost, but it's two to three top-nine centers, a top-four defenseman, our starting goalie. It's those types of things that are tough to overcome. It's not just to our depth, these are key guys. But it's also been a credit to the leadership of our players. Oliver Ekman-Larsson, first year as a captain, I think he's done a fabulous job navigating through the adversity. Niklas Hjalmarsson, I don't think he gets fazed by anything. He's the same guy every single day. His preparation, his will to win, it's just been phenomenal. Step is a big part of that. [Alex] Goligoski, his last 20-30 games, have been fabulous."
On if there is something to be said for playing meaningful games now for the young guys on the roster, even if they don't lead to a playoff berth:
"Absolutely. Everyone wants to make the playoffs and everyone wants to win the Stanley Cup, but not everyone wants to go through the process of doing those things. Right now, we're going through that. It's step by step. Our young guys are learning trial by fire now. At the same time, we have some guys like Step and Hjalmarsson and Goligoski who have gone through the process and can help them through the process. But yeah, it's great to be back playing meaningful games. Every game matters, every play matters and for guys like Clayton Keller, Jakob Chychrun, Christian Dvorak, Christian Fischer, these guys, it's invaluable for them to get that experience. That was our goal coming in: let's be in this position basically, if not better, but at least be in this position. We are, so that's a good thing."
On if he worries at all about the balance between being in this position on the playoff bubble and wanting more and being in this position and being content:
"Not at all. Our guys have had success at other levels and leagues and they're wired to win, and that's their goal. No, I don't get the sense that there's any type of let up or we're content with anything. With our injuries, that's been the key, game by game. We've got Anaheim [Tuesday], and that's all our guys are focused on. They'll deal with the rest as it comes."
On how he evaluates Tocchet's ability to manage the adversity:
"He's been awesome. He's a phenomenal coach, he really is. I don't know if he gets as much credit as he should, but he should be getting all of it in terms of we wouldn't be where we are without him. Level-headed is the word. He and I have a lot of discussions; sometimes I'm the upset one and sometimes he's the upset one, but ultimately after we talk it out he comes out with a good mind frame, goes and talks to our players and gets the job done, and he's done an amazing job of that."

On the importance of Alex Galchenyuk (10 points in the past 11 games):
"Oh yeah, you go through this spurt we've had and you look at the key moments, the key goals that are scored, if he's not scoring them he's setting them up, and if he's not setting them up he's scoring them in a shootout. He's been that big-event player that when the game is on the line and you need that play, he can do it. That's what we talked about last year a lot. We had a team that hung around, we were in a lot of games, but we couldn't get that key play at the right time. He's been able to do that for us. … He's a goal scorer and that's a very elite quality and it's tough to find those. We stuck with it, he stuck with it and the results have been phenomenal for our group."