Despite plunging to one of the lower points in franchise history, the Coyotes hope to bridge the gap between a 50-loss performance and playoff potential in only a year's time.
That was the message expressed Monday by coach Dave Tippett and General Manager Don Maloney when they met with players before scattering for the summer, and it's a vision shared by the team's ownership group.
And until the price tag for such a transformation is revealed, the budget for offseason spending remains unclear.
"We're saying, 'Don, come to us and tell us what you need to be competitive, to be a playoff-contending team this coming season and at the same time, make sure we're still doing the right things to build a Stanley Cup-contending team down the road,'" said Anthony LeBlanc, the team president, CEO and co-owner.