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After making the playoffs for three consective seasons, the Phoenix Coyotes missed the postseason in 2013 and still face the uncertainty that has been hanging over the franchise since the league took over the team in 2009. Off-Season Game Plan looks at a Coyotes team facing an uphill fight, at least as long as their future remains up in the air. The main reason that they Coyotes are handicapped in their efforts to build a team is that its awfully difficult, if not impossible, to get a prime free agent to sign a long-term deal with a team, with no assurances that they wont be moved across the continent. When players reach the point in their careers at which they get to choose where they want to play, its already a problem when a team doesnt have big money to spend, but its a further disadvantage when the team cant tell a free agent, for certain, where they will play. "To me its a challenge," GM Don Maloney told the Arizona Republic. "I think its been shown with great coaching, with Dave Tippett, with great chemistry and great goaltending, you can win here." Of course, Maloney faces the prospect of not having highly-regarded coach Tippett if the ownership situation isnt settled, and both of last years goaltenders are unrestricted free agents, so there are potential changes coming to the crease. Looking at the Coyotes roster, they still have a formidable defensive unit and some solid, if not necessarily spectacular, two-way forwards but, perhaps aside from defenceman Keith Yandle, they lack game-breaking offensive players and thats the area that most needs to be addressed if the Coyotes are going to get back on the postseason track. "Its just that extra talent to get that extra goal on the road that you need when youre tied or down a goal," Maloney told the Arizona Republic. "We really missed that this year — maybe the last couple years." Its one thing to know its a need and another matter entirely to have the wherewithal to do something about it. If Don Maloney, facing ownership (and team location) uncertainty, can figure out how to improve the Coyotes offensive outlook, then he may be too good for the job because this is akin to climbing a mountain without any equipment. The TSN.ca Rating is an efficiency rating based on per-game statistics including goals and assists -- weighted for strength (ie. power play, even, shorthanded) -- plus-minus, hits, blocked shots, giveaways, takeaways, penalty differential and faceoffs. (Stats are listed in this format: G-A-PTS, +/-, PIM, GP). Generally, a replacement-level player is around a 60, a top six forward and top four defenceman will be 70-plus, stars will be over 80 and MVP candidates could go over 90. Sidney Crosby finished at the top of the 2013 regular season ratings with a 93.65. Salary cap information all comes from the indispensable www.capgeek.com. GM/COACH Don Maloney/Dave Tippett Returning Forwards Player Rating GP G A PTS +/- Cap Hit Radim Vrbata 76.19 34 12 16 28 +6 $3.0M Shane Doan 70.18 48 13 14 27 +6 $5.3M Martin Hanzal 69.96 39 11 12 23 +2 $3.1M Rob Klinkhammer 68.14 22 5 6 11 +7 $625K Antoine Vermette 66.40 48 13 8 21 -3 $3.75M David Moss 64.88 45 5 15 20 +3 $2.1M Paul Bissonnette 55.65 28 0 6 6 +2 $738K Free Agent Forwards Player Rating GP G A PTS +/- Class 12-13 Cap Hit Mikkel Boedker 65.93 48 7 19 26 0 RFA $1.1M Lauri Korpikoski 63.17 36 6 5 11 -3 RFA $1.8M Boyd Gordon 60.24 48 4 10 14 0 UFA $1.325M Chris Conner 59.48 12 1 1 2 +3 UFA $650K Kyle Chipchura 59.19 46 5 9 14 +1 UFA $675K Alexandre Bolduc 50.86 14 0 0 0 -4 UFA $650K Coyotes Forwards Usage Chart from somekindofninja.com He doesnt get the kind of pub that he deserves for his production but, with 47 goals in 111 games over the past two seasons, Radim Vrbata ranks 11th in the league with 0.42 goals per game, falling between Corey Perry and Logan Couture. Hes one of the few bona fide scoring threats for the Coyotes, so that brings a certain amount of pressure too. 36-year-old Shane Doan has played every one of his 1301 (regular season plus playoff) games with this franchise and while his offensive production is tailing off (last seasons 0.56 points per game was his lowest since 1999-2000, which was also the last time he played less than last years 18:03 per game) he remains a sound two-way player. Though 23 points in 39 games might not stand out, it marks the best per-game scoring rate (0.59 ppg) of Martin Hanzals career. The 6-foot-6 centre is a beast of a physical presence and gets charged with taking on the oppositions best on a nightly basis. It would be nice if Hanzal could score a little more, given his ice time but, overall, hes a significant asset. Physical 26-year-old winger Rob Klinkhammer got into a career-high 22 games and showed enough to earn a two-year NHL contract from the Coyotes. Its tough to place expectations on a 26-year-old that has played 38 career games, but Klinkhammer comes at a bargain price and should be able to fill a role in the bottom six. Antoine Vermette may get asked to do too much for the Coyotes, but he is a two-way player capable of contributing offensively -- he tied with Doan for the team lead, scoring 13 goals. With Hanzal and Vermette the top two options down the middle, the Coyotes have responsible players, but could really use a playmaker to elevate their offence. David Moss missed only three games, his fewest by far since 2008-2009, and he played a career-high 15:33 per game. Hes a reliable two-way winger, as if there is any other choice to earn ice time with the Coyotes. While Paul Bissonnette may be known more for his Twitter feed than anything else, he did score a career-high six points last season and, while his ice time is limited and protected, his possession numbers are strangely okay. 23-year-old winger Mikkel Boedker was deemed ready for a big jump in responsibility, playing nearly five minutes per game more than in 2011-2012, and he finished fourth on the team in scoring. He still has some offensive potential to explore. After a couple of decent seasons, Lauri Korpikoski started 2013 with four goals in 10 games, then fell right off the grid, scoring twice in his next 26 games, yet he still played more than 17 minutes per game. Goal-scoring doesnt mean everything for hard-working Korpikoski, but if hes not scoring, his role on the team comes further down the depth chart. Its not easy to find free agents willing to deal with the uncertainty of the Coyotes future. It would be great to find a playmaking centre, like Mike Ribeiro, Stephen Weiss, Derek Roy or Valtteri Filppula, but that may not be in the cards. Taking a shot on a veteran scorer like Vaclav Prospal or Simon Gagne, on a short-term deal, could help too. Failing an offensive upgrade, though, it might be best to re-sign top-notch checking centre Boyd Gordon. Returning Defence Player Rating GP G A PTS +/- Cap Hit Keith Yandle 77.48 48 10 20 30 +4 $5.25M Oliver Ekman-Larsson 73.22 48 3 21 24 +5 $5.5M David Schlemko 67.44 30 1 5 6 +8 $1.188M Derek Morris 67.01 39 0 11 11 -6 $2.75M Rostislav Klesla 65.80 38 2 6 8 0 $2.975M Zbynek Michalek 63.32 34 0 2 2 +4 $4.0M Free Agent Defence Player Rating GP G A PTS +/- Class 12-13 Cap Hit Michael Stone 68.10 40 5 4 9 +2 RFA $846K Coyotes Defence Usage Chart from somekindofninja.com In the last three seasons, only Erik Karlsson and Dustin Byfuglien have tallied more points than Keith Yandle, who has 132 points in 212 games. Hes a dynamic presence and his offensive instincts stand out on a team that lacks gamebreakers. 21-year-old Oliver Ekman-Larsson has already emerged as one of the games best shutdown defenders, playing more than 25 minutes per game and taking on the best the opposition has to offer every game. Ekman-Larsson also developed as expected in his third NHL season and is likely going to be a viable Norris Trophy candidate for the next decade. David Schlemko has been a part-time player for the Coyotes, playing 119 of 212 games over the last three seasons. Hes at the point where hes established that he can play in the league, but he still requires protected minutes, avoiding the oppositions top line for example, in order to get best results. More than 1,000 games into his NHL career, 34-year-old Derek Morris still plays more than 21 minutes per game for the Coyotes. His performance varies, from year to year, but if hes not asked to play the toughest minutes, he can be a useful piece of the puzzle. It seemed as though, after an up-and-down time in Columbus for much of his career, Rostislav Klesla had found a steady role in Phoenix, but he played a career-low 17:38 per game last season and has always struggled in the possession game, so he could be bumped by one of the Coyotes younger options.. Zbynek Michalek returned to Phoenix and provided the rugged, reliable defence for which he is known, even if he brought very little offence, even by his own standards. Two points in 34 games (0.09 ppg) was the low mark for his career. A 23-year-old with good size and big shot, Michael Stone worked his way into a regular role with the Coyotes, playing 40 games (albeit a limited 16:13 per game) in 2013. Next season could be an opportunity to take on more significant minutes. The Coyotes have six defencemen under contract and, presuming that they re-sign Stone, a restricted free agent, that would make seven, leaving little room for top prospects Brandon Gormley and David Rundblad, both of whom are ready for their chance to play in the NHL. That could be all the more reason to move a defenceman in an effort to increase their firepower up front. Free Agent Goaltenders Player Rating GP W L OTL GAA SV% Class 12-13 Cap Hit Jason LaBarbera 75.06 15 4 6 2 2.64 .923 UFA $1.25M Mike Smith 69.30 34 15 12 5 2.58 .910 UFA $2.0M Jason LaBarbera was very good in a backup role, as expected. Over the last four seasons, he ranks sixth among backups (between 20 and 100 games played) with a .918 save percentage. Ideally, the Coyotes could get the 33-year-old to stick around, but you never know what money and opportunities could be available on the free agent market. After a career year in 2011-2012, Mike Smith reverted back closer to career norms in 2013. That should make his price more reasonable as a free agent, but the 31-year-old is likely to have suitors who like his size and competitiveness. Will Phoenix try to keep Smith, or will they just find another answer, as they did when Ilya Bryzgalov moved on? If they dont keep Smith, then free agents like Niklas Backstrom, Evgeni Nabokov, Jose Theodore, Ray Emery or Anton Khudobin may be viable alternatives. Top Prospects Player Pos. Team/League Stats Brandon Gormley D Portland (AHL) 5-24-29, -7, 68 GP David Rundblad D Portland (AHL) 9-30-39, +8, 50 GP Henrik Samuelsson C Edmonton (WHL) 33-47-80, +31, 69 GP Connor Murphy D Sarnia (OHL) 6-12-18, +14, 33 GP Mark Visentin G Portland (AHL) 15-12-1, 2.98 GAA, .903 SV% Lucas Lessio LW Oshawa (OHL) 19-15-34, +11, 35 GP Chris Brown RW Portland (AHL) 29-18-47, -5, 68 GP Tobias Rieder RW Kitchener (OHL) 27-29-56, +12, 52 GP Philip Lane RW Portland (AHL) 14-8-22, +10, 70 GP Andy Miele C Portland (AHL) 19-34-53, +3, 70 GP A reliable defender with offensive upside, Brandon Gormley maybe ready to challenge f