Few NHL teams have finished their forechecks and embraced the grinder’s mindset of hockey the way Arizona did during the 2022-23 season.
The Coyotes finished the year with the sixth most hits (2,095) and fights (30) in the 32-team league, finishing with an overall ranking as the fifth most aggressive team in the NHL for their on-ice exploits.
But that didn’t help the Coyotes on the ice or at Arizona online sportsbooks, as they finished second-to-last in the Western Conference with 70 points.
BetArizona.com utilized MoneyPuck.com to compile the amount of hits by each NHL team and HockeyFights.com to compile the amount of fights by each NHL team in the 2022-23 regular season to find the most aggressive teams.
NHL’s Most Aggressive Teams Of 2022-23 NHL Season
Arizona sports betting apps list Colorado as the Stanley Cup favorite at +800 odds.
Coyotes Show Aggressive Doesn’t Equal Good
Despite their on-ice scrappiness, the Coyotes muddled their way through a disappointing 28-40-14 campaign — missing the postseason for a third straight season along the way.
The Coyotes last made the playoffs in an 82-game season in 2012, when the franchise lost to the Kings in the Western Conference Finals after beating the Blackhawks and Predators in the Western Conference postseason.
It appears the Andre Tourigny-coached club hasn’t come any closer to figuring out what it takes to go channel that raw aggression into success, though, as Arizona once again missed out on the playoffs last year.
The Coyotes’ 70-point performance in 2022-23 was the lowest of the 10 most aggressive teams in the NHL, coming in behind the Flyers (75 points) and Capitals (80 points) leaguewide.
Conversely, the Bruins won the President’s Cup by notching the most regular season points (135) in the league, while the Rangers also eclipsed the 100-point mark this year, finishing with 107 points total.
It remains to be seen whether Arizona can translate its on-ice aggression into success this season. BetMGM Sportsbook Arizona isn’t optimistic, as the Coyotes have among the five worst Stanley Cup odds at +15000.
