The 2019-20 edition of the Arizona Coyotes made some noise after being one of the "extra" teams invited to the bubbles. As the No. 10 seed, they defeated the Nashville Predators before being bowled over by the Colorado Avalanche.
What does the 2020-21 edition hold in store (aside from some elite Reverse Retro jerseys)? Here's everything you need to know ahead of opening night:
Big question: Can goaltending deliver a playoff berth?
Last season, the Coyotes added big names like Phil Kessel and Taylor Hall to their roster in an effort to bolster one of the weakest offenses in the NHL. The result saw an uptick of just 0.16 goals per game, which moved them from 29th to 23rd in the league.
Arizona's .529 points percentage could be credited to the other side of the ice, where Darcy Kuemper (.928 save percentage) and Antti Raanta (.921) were one of the best tandems in the NHL. That great goaltending continued into the postseason, where the Coyotes found themselves thanks to the 24-team playoff bubble expansion. Kuemper delivered a qualifying round win over Nashville, before the Coyotes were humbled by Colorado.
Can the goalies give them a second straight playoff appearance, something the team hasn't had since 2012?