Same result, different look.
That’s been the trend since the Coyotes stripped down to start a rebuild, initially patching holes with minor-leaguers as they circled the drain before sliding down the standings.
Then they complemented their veterans with youth. Just a few accessories – enough to make a statement but not trigger a trend. That came the following year, when first- and second-year players outnumbered the 30-plus crowd.
But it still didn’t work, and the Coyotes were irrelevant last November after hanging on to a playoff spot until the All-Star break the previous season.
Tweaks, again, were the remedy of choice amid a five-year playoff drought but unlike the past, the Coyotes didn’t continue to make minor alterations.