'Yotes Notes: Tocchet Says Stepan Is 'Very Close' to Returning to Lineup

SUNRISE, FLORIDA --Center Derek Stepan, who hasn't played for the Coyotes since suffering a lower-body injury on Feb. 28, could be back in the lineup as soon as this weekend.

"I would say he's very, very close," Head Coach Rick Tocchet said after Wednesday's practice at the BB&T Center. "He's days from going. He's done a great job in the rehab part so hopefully here in the (near) future he's going to be in the lineup."

The Coyotes next play at the Florida Panthers on Thursday, but Tocchet said it's more likely that Stepan returns this weekend either at New Jersey on Saturday or at the New York Islanders on Sunday.
Stepan, whom team officials feared would be sidelined for four to six weeks, leads Arizona forwards in ice time per game (19:17), and ranks tied for fifth on the team with 32 points despite having missed nine games.
• Goalie Antti Raanta, who has been sidelined since December because of a lower-body injury, continues to skate away from teammates with goalie coach Corey Schwab. He's attempting to return to the lineup before the regular season ends on April 6.
"I think it's a long shot," General Manager John Chayka told Arizona Sports 98.7 FM, the team's flagship radio station, on Wednesday. "I'd never say never, but he's started to skate with us a bit and the next stage would be to practice. I don't think he'll be at that stage in the near future ... Darcy Kuemper has played so well, that allows Antti to go about it the right way, and we're not going to rush anyone. We want to make sure he's fully safe and healthy when he does come back."
• Kuemper has been one of the NHL's stingiest goalies over the past three months and his stellar netminding has triggered Arizona's charge toward earning a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Chayka said the Coyotes were expecting Kuemper to be a key contributor, if needed, when they acquired him last season.

"He'd shown some really good flashes early on in his career and did a lot of god things," Chayka said. "He won a playoff series as a starter (with Minnesota in 2013-14). Not too many people know that because it's been a while. We felt like he'd be a really good fit for our system and our goalie coach, and he's come in here and he's been our MVP. He's a rock back there. He gives us all confidence. It's been a great story."
• Clayton Keller continues to lead the Coyotes in points with 46, including the team's lone goal in its 4-1 loss at Tampa Bay on Monday.

"This is the time of the year when he's usually a big-time player and that's why we drafted him," Chayka said. "I thought he had probably one of his best games of the season against Tampa. Obviously Tampa is a superbly good team right now and he scored a big goal, but he also did a lot of little things and played an extremely detailed game. I think he's shown a lot of growth and improvement in his overall game, which is critical. If you want to win, your top players have to be able to defend and play against top competition, top lines of the other team, and I think Clayton is going through that process right now. I'm very optimistic about the last nine games and what he can do for our team."

• Recently, Ice Hockey U.K. announced that Coyotes prospect Liam Kirk is one of 28 players invited to Great Britain's men's national team selection camp for the 2019 IIHF World Championship coming up in May. Kirk, who is currently playing junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League, helped Great Britain reach the top division for the annual tournament at last year's second-division championships.