It would be wrong to say that the Phoenix Coyotes are back to full-strength on Thursday, but they’re getting there, at least.
Defensemen Rostislav Klesla and Derek Morris have returned to the fold while forward Gilbert Brule makes his 2013-14 season debut, the Arizona Republic’s Sarah McLellan reports.
That’s positive news for the Coyotes as they face the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight - particularly Morris returning - but Shane Doan, Zbynek Michalek and Lauri Korpikoski remain out of the mix.
Phoenix is understandably described as a tight-to-the-vest team, but the ‘Yotes have actually been engaged in fairly high-scoring games this season. They’ve scored 105 goals and given up 103 so far. That underrated offensive attack could make for a sneaky challenge for James Reimer & Co, although not having Doan stunts their forward group quite a bit.