We have one more old WHA team to explore on NHL Saturday: the original Winnipeg Jets that became the Arizona Coyotes—and are now technically “defunct” as the franchise’s move to Utah is considered an “expansion” move. Got that? Yeah, we had to think for a moment, too, as if the Phoenix area deserves another team down the line, you know? Oh well. Here’s the list of players that thrived with this organization. Enjoy!

No. 10: Keith Yandle, D—50 PS (2006-2015)

The No. 105 pick overall, the ‘Yotes got a lot of mileage out of this longtime blueliner, including three consecutive Top 13 Norris vote finishes from 2011-2013. That’s not bad, even if he never made an All-Star team. His best season was 2010-2011 when he posed 9.9 Point Shares, including 5.4 on offense. The season prior, he set a career-best mark of 5.3 defensive PS while posting 9.0 PS overall. Not a bad return at all …

No. 9: Ilya Bryzgalov, G—52 PS (2007-2011)

In just 257 games, he’s cracked this list due to an All-Star nod in 2010 and back-to-back seasons in the Top 6 Vezina vote (2010, 2011). Oddly, he also topped the league in losses once (2009). But his PS marks were stellar, clearly, peaking with 14.7 PS in 2010-2011. Sadly, he was just 3-8 in the postseason during a relatively rough stretch for the franchise in terms of reaching the Stanley Cup playoffs. The desert is rough.

No. 8: Bob Essensa, G—53 PS (1988-1994, 1999-2000)

This journeyman fourth rounder spent time with both the Winnipeg Jets and the Phoenix Coyotes, making him a rarity on this list. He played in 311 games for the organization, overall, finishing third in the 1992 Vezina vote after posting 10.1 PS and leading the NHL in shutouts (5). Oddly, his best season was the one after that, where he contributed 12.5 PS to the Winnipeg cause. Alas, he was just 4-5 in the postseason.

No. 7: Thomas Steen, C—53 PS (1981-1995)

A fifth-round pick, he spent his entire career with the Jets and earned regular votes for the Lady Bing and the Selke trophies. This made him a fan-favorite grinder, really, as he posted just 553 points in 950 career games. His best season came in 1988-1989 when he posted 6.7 Point Shares; he only managed to crack the 5.0 barrier three times overall in his career. He was better in the playoffs, with 44 points in 56 games, too.

No. 6: Mike Smith, G—60 PS (2011-2017)

This is three netminders so far, if you’re keeping track at home. He joined the Coyotes at age 29 and had his best career season: a league-best 16.7 Point Shares at his position, a fourth-place finish in the Vezina vote, and our nod for the actual Vezina hardware. By 2015, though, he ended up leading the NHL in losses, as the franchise went into the tank in more ways than one. Overall, not bad for a fifth rounder, really, in general.

No. 5: Oliver Ekman-Larsson, D—68 PS (2011-2021)

The No. 6 overall pick, he toiled on the blue line for 769 games for the Coyotes franchise. Five times, he was a Top 17 vote getter for the Norris (2013-2016, 2019). Never an All Star, his best season with the team came in 2015-2016 with 9.5 Point Shares. He posted only 8 points in 25 postseason games, though, as the organization struggled to make any successful headway in the Southwest desert for a long time. Bad timing.

No. 4: Keith Tkachuk, LW—71 PS (1991-2001)

A two-time All Star (1995 with the Jets, 1998 with the ‘Yotes), he transitioned with the team from Winnipeg to Phoenix, successfully. He led the NHL in goals scored in 1997 (52), as well. He posted back-to-back seasons of double-digit PS in 1995-1996 (11.2) and 1996-1997 (10.9). However, with just 28 points in 44 playoff games, the former No. 19 overall pick came up short in trying to establish a winning tradition for the team.

No. 3: Dale Hawerchuk, C—73 PS (1981-1990)

The No. 1 overall pick in 1981, he won the Calder vote in 1982 and was an All Star in 1985—but he was never the particularly dominant player you might expect for a top pick. Only twice did he reach double digits in Point Shares (11.1 in 1984-1985 and 10.0 in 1987-1988), and he posted negative plus/minus ratings in both the regular season and the postseason with the team despite being a high-scoring center. That says a lot, for sure.

No. 2: Teppo Numminen, D—92 PS (1988-2003)

Four times he was a Top 11 vote getter for the Norris (1996, 1998, 2000, 2002), and we gave him our Norris hardware in 1998, in fact. He was the No. 29 pick overall, although he never made an All-Star team. His 10.2 PS in 1997-1998 were a career best, and his 24:06 ATOI while with the team was pretty significant. It seemed like he was always on the ice. He basically matched that mark with 24:01 ATOI in the postseason as well.

No. 1: Shane Doan, RW—96 PS (1995-2017)

After 21 seasons with the franchise, he better be tops on this list. The No. 7 overall pick, he played the final season in Winnipeg before spending the rest of his career in the desert, becoming the face of the franchise there. Yet his PS total is rather unimpressive … he never made an All-Star team, and he never topped his peers in any significant statistical categories. His best year was 2008-2009 with 9.3 PS, which isn’t a lot.