When last season adjourned, Brad Richardson was the third-most experienced center on the Coyotes’ roster in terms of regular-season games played.
Now he’s No. 1.
The 31-year-old scaled the pecking order after the Coyotes removed veteran options from the mix and left spots open for youth, a change that could add mentor to Richardson’s resume.
“There’s definitely going to be some young kids in the lineup it looks like,” Richardson said. “You want to help them, but you also want to try to get better yourself. I’m looking to help those guys and be a leader on the team but also get better myself.