The tortured history of the bankrupt Phoenix Coyotes may come to an end very soon. The NHL and Jim Balsillie have submitted auction bids and the sports world awaits the decision of Judge Redfield Baum. All major sports are watching the situation closely, as renegade Balsillie, who had been unanimously rejected by the board of governors, seeks to rewrite the pro sports rule book, perhaps forever. Jerry Moyes feels “betrayed” by the NHL, and the whole episode has been a nightmare for the league, which insists that Phoenix be preserved as a league market.

"Mr. Bettman's plan is not working out,” Moyes told the press at a recent court proceeding. “You have Phoenix, Dallas, Nashville, Atlanta and Tampa Bay all in trouble, it's just not working in the south. These teams have to go north where everybody loves hockey.”

Late in September, coach Wayne Gretzky stepped aside as coach, the symbolism not lost on many who perceive his exit as another proverbial nail in the team’s coffin. Former Stars coach Dave Tippett climbs aboard.

GM Don Maloney has been leaning heavily on development players and prospects in revamping the club over the past two seasons, since taking over for Mike Barnett (now an executive with the Rangers).

Offensively, it’s a story of a bunch of young draftees and players who came onboard after various salary dumps, including the trades of Olli Jokinen and Derek Morris.

Maloney added 27-year-old Matthew Lombardi when he dealt Jokinen to the Flames. Lombardi, who has only cracked 20 goals once, will be called upon to center Shane Doan’s line at times. On other occasions, that responsibility will fall on Mueller’s shoulders.

Former Jaromir Jagr linemate Petr Prucha, who once scored 30 and 22 goals as Jaromir Jagr’s linemate, fizzled with eight goals last year, but did manage 10 points in 19 games after coming over from the Rangers in the Derek Morris deal.

Center Peter Mueller endured a sophomore slump, falling to 13 goals and 36 points from a 08-09 rookie total of 22 goals, 54 points. It’s a tall order, asking a 21-year-old Mueller to become a top-six center, but that’s exactly what the club requires.

Left wing Scottie Upshall was a bright spot late in the season, scoring eight times in 19 contests. Upshall, who turns 27 on October 7, has never potted more than 15 goals and has never played a full 82-game slate due to injuries. His uptick in production in an expanded role with Phoenix indicates that he may find a more comfortable groove here than he did with Philadelphia in recent years after spending the early part of his career with Nashville, who drafted him sixth overall in 2002.

Shane Doan, 33 at season’s start, is the epitome of what an NHL player should be. Accountability, leadership, consistent goal scoring (nine consecutive 20-goal seasons), loyalty to the franchise. Considering the mess that the franchise is in, you’d think that Doan would jump ship, demanding a trade (in fact, he’s been offered one and rejected the notion). But he doesn’t, and the respect he’s afforded by his peers is evident by the fact that he’s often the captain of Team Canada at the world championships, held every spring during the NHL’s playoffs, the national team populated by non-playoff and players from eliminated clubs.

On defense, Ed Jovanovski leads a decent bunch. The club signed UFA Adrian Aucoin, 36, to a one-year deal. Aucoin has an offensive upside, having scored 10+ goals from the blueline six times. He’s also a minute-muncher who once dominated league TOI with the Islanders earlier this decade. Zbenek Michalek is generally underrated. Kurt Sauer is steady.

The team has been unable to build consistency because so often it has to shed the salaries of decent veteran acquisitions (Jokinen, Morris). This situation confines the Coyotes to the Western conference basement, or close to it.