As he made his way from the home players’ tunnel to the Coyotes locker room after Friday’s practice at Gila River Arena, goaltender Antti Raanta was asked about his new pads, which were noticeably different from the Coyotes-themed ones he had been wearing.
“Yes,” Raanta said when asked if he was wearing new pads. “These are a little bit more simple. Not as flashy.”
Of course, Raanta was only speaking about his pads — but the goaltender’s change in taste regarding his equipment is the same as the team’s change in philosophy since the 2018 calendar year began.