"Although his budget for next season will fall short of what General Manager Don Maloneywould like, there could be a domino effect forming that also helps determine the makeup of the Coyotes.

There are three moving parts in that scenario:

- Ilya Bryzgalov, the unrestricted free-agent goaltender, will be seeking a huge contract that probably will dwarf the $12.75 million he has been paid over the previous three years. If he gets close to what he wants, the team's financial picture radically changes, but Maloney has said that he will not break the bank on one player. If Bryzgalov is willing to take a "hometown discount," less money to stay in a familiar place, it would give the Coyotes more options.

- Keith Yandle is a restricted free agent regarded as one of the league's better defensemen. He earned $1.2 million a year ago, a figure so comparatively small that it will not even be a starting point, and he will want a long-term deal. Maloney has steadfastly maintained Yandle will be back.

- Ed Jovanovski was paid $6.5 million last season. The veteran blueliner likely won't be within shouting distance of that this time, and it remains to be seen whether he will take a hefty cut. If he decides to leave, that frees up several million dollars.

The NHL salary cap will be announced in late June and could reach $63.5 million, with the floor at $47.5 million. Maloney, operating for the third year in a row under league-mandated restrictions, will learn his bottom line shortly, and it is likely to be around $56 million; last year, only eight GMs had worked with lower budgets than Maloney.

Maloney said that the Coyotes' strategy will not be to concentrate on signing players at or near the league minimum - as they did with the recent re-acquisition of center Petteri Nokelainen - but believes getting players in that range opens the door in the quest for higher-end free agents.

Maloney said Nokelainen fit a specific role, adding: "So, no, I wouldn't say that's accurate that we're just looking to sign as many guys at league minimum as possible. Our budget will be expanded . . . and then it's finding the people that fit into the holes we have with the resources we have available."

The situation, including the free agency period that begins July 1, remains fluid because the Coyotes have 13 free agents, eight of them unrestricted. An NHL source foresees a new-look team taking the ice in October."