Tuscon Roadrunners and all other Arizona Coyotes Prospect discussions

[pilldoc]

All discussion regarding the Arizona Coyotes and their prospects go here please.

Edited May 27, 2018 by pilldoc

[Brewin Flames]

PROSPECT POOL OVERVIEW: ARIZONA COYOTES

The Coyotes have some promising young faces, but are still in a rebuild. Tony Ferrari looks at what the team has, needs and who to keep an eye out for.

• TONY FERRARI
• 4 HOURS AGO

 

In this series, Tony Ferrari will dig into each team’s strengths and weaknesses, a quick overview of their latest draft class, where each team's positional depth chart stands, and who could be next in line for an NHL roster spot.

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The Arizona Coyotes went into the draft with a glut of draft capital and used it to bolster their prospect pool and strengthen their biggest weakness coming into the draft - the center position. This team is about a decade into its rebuild with some unstable ownership and management thrown into the mix along the way.

 

Unfortunately, that means that they have had some misses and odd decisions along the way. Thankfully, they seem to be on the right path now. 

 

The Coyotes have a couple of young players on the roster in Barrett Hayton up front and Janis Jérôme Moser on the back end, but they have a lot of journeymen-type players as well. This could be a good thing for many of the team's top prospects because NHL clubs are a bit more inclined to displace a journeyman for a young player than they would be if there were a large group of legacy players to the franchise.

 

The Coyotes are at an interesting phase in their rebuild. They likely aren’t good enough to take the next step towards competing so they have to choose whether the NHL experience for players such as Victor Söderström and Dylan Guenther is going to be good for their development or risk of overwhelming them and stunting their growth.

 

This could be a year of allowing the youth to sink or swim or they could opt to allow their youth to develop one more year at the junior or AHL levels and ride the journeymen players through their first season at Arizona State University.

 

Regardless of what they choose regarding roster construction for the upcoming season, the Yotes are very much in the Connor Bedard sweepstakes. Adding one of the top-end talents from the loaded 2023 draft would make this somewhat underwhelming prospect pool look much better.

2022 NHL DRAFT CLASS

Round 1 (3 Overall) - Logan Cooley, C, U.S. National Development Team [USHL] Round 1 (11 Overall) - Conor Geekie, C, Winnipeg Ice [WHL]
Round 1 (29 Overall) - Maveric Lamoureux, D, Drummondville Voltigeurs [QMJHL] Round 2 (36 Overall) - Artyom Duda, D, Krasnaya Armiya [MHL]
Round 2 (43 Overall) - Julian Lutz, L, Munich EHC [DEL]
Round 3 (67 Overall) - Miko Matikka, R, Jokerit (U20 SM-sarja)
Round 3 (94 Overall) - Jeremy Langlois, D, Cape Breton Eagles [QMJHL]
Round 5 (131 Overall) - Matthew Morden, D, St. Andrews College (Ontario H.S.)
Round 6 (163 Overall) - Maksymilian Szuber, D, Munich EHC [DEL]
Round 7 (204 Overall) - Adam Zlnka, R, Sioux Falls Stampede [USHL]

Starting their draft strong by selecting their number one center of the future in Logan Cooley. The top player from this year’s U.S. U18 program is a dynamic two-way center that can dish and dangle with the best of them to go along with underappreciated finishing ability. He may very well be the highest upside forward in the draft class while also presenting a very safe floor as a top-six forward.

 

They followed that up by utilizing their overflowing pantry of draft picks to trade up to pick number 11 and select Conor Geekie from the Winnipeg Ice. Blending puck skill, offensive prowess, and 200-foot intelligence with his 6-foot-4 frame, Geekie has the size and skill combination that is rare in the NHL today. If he can get his skating up to par, the sky is the limit for him.

 

After making a trade to take on Zach Kassian from the Edmonton Oilers to move up a few spots in the draft from 32 to 29th overall, Arizona took hulking 6-foot-8 defender Maveric Lamoureux from Drummondville in the QMJHL to cap their first round. A defensively stout blueliner who could be a force in his own end when he fills out his frame.

 

The second round featured their first two picks from overseas as they selected Russian offensive defender Artyom Duda and German two-way forward Julian Lutz. Duda was a powerplay aficionado who took advantage of the opportunities he was given to put up some solid production.

 

Lutz was injured for much of the year but plays a pro-style game and was the offensive catalyst for the German U18 squad.

 

In round three, the Coyotes continued adding talent with two more picks in the top-100. Finnish winger Miko Matikka was added at the top of the third round, bringing a big shot and physicality to the prospect pool. Towards the end of the round, they added defender Jérémy Langlois who has some quality tools that are on display defending the rush and retrieving pucks in his own zone. Langlois also has some interesting offensive tendencies, but his overall upside is up in the air a bit.

STRENGTHS

The Arizona prospect pool isn’t quite as strong as you’d expect considering that they’ve been rebuilding for almost a decade, especially heading into the 2022 NHL draft but they did an excellent job of bolstering their center depth as of late. The NCAA free agent additions Jack McBain and Nathan Smith to go along with their top two draft choices in Logan Cooley and Conor Geekie, the Coyotes suddenly have a nice stable of pivots. Throw in some of the depth options down the middle, such as John Farinacci and Manix Landry, and they also have some depth at the position.

Barrett Hayton is still just 22 years old as well and although he is no longer considered a prospect for this exercise, he seems poised to establish himself as an NHLer this year. Three years from now, a Cooley-Geekie-Hayton-McBain/Smith quartet of centers could look quite formidable.

WEAKNESSES

The Coyotes need scoring wingers beyond Dylan Guenther. The wingers beyond Guenther in the prospect pool, on both the left and right side, project more as middle-six wingers who lack some of the offensive punch a team needs to complement their centers. While Josh Doan and Julian Lutz both look like interesting and projectable NHLers, they likely lack the upside to play on the team's top-line, even in a fill-in role. Thankfully, the winger position is the easiest to fill through free agency and the draft.

NEXT MAN UP: RD VICTOR SÖDERSTRÖM

Had it not been for the lower body injury that Dylan Guenther is dealing with, the offensive dynamo would have likely been the obvious choice here. With that uncertainty, Söderström seems like the best bet to crack the NHL roster full-time to start the season.

The young Swedish defenseman has had a couple of short stints with the NHL club the last two seasons but has yet to break through and solidify his spot.

 

Söderström plays a very understated game. He lacks the flash and flair of the game's top defensemen, but he brings the stability often sought by many teams looking to contend. Söderström defends transition well, breaking down play intelligently and making the best decision quickly, whether closing a gap or making a breakout pass.

 

Söderström is a very strong skater who can affect play in all three zones but tends to deviate to the high-skill forwards in the offensive zone. With the lack of talent on the Coyotes’ right side, Söderström looks like a lock to nail down one of the spots on the blueline coming out of training camp.

PROSPECT DEPTH CHART NOTABLES

LW: Mattias Maccelli, Julian Lutz
Logan Cooley, Conor Geekie, Jack McBain
RW: Dylan Guenther, Josh Doan
LD: Artyom Duda, Vladislav Kolyachonok
RD: Victor Söderström, Maveric Lamoureux
G: Ivan Prosvetov

[Brewin Flames]

Coyotes Send 7 Prospects to 2024 World Junior Championship

December 24, 2023 by Cooper Krigbaum

The World Junior Championship (WJC) is a time for prospects to represent their country and live out their dreams. Last year, Team Canada took home gold thanks to Arizona Coyotes prospect Dylan Guenther, who scored the golden goal. This time around, teams head to Gothenburg, Sweden, where the highly anticipated tournament will be held. As the Coyotes’ ever-growing prospect pool seems to multiply every draft, there are a handful of players making the trip. Here is your Coyotes guide to the 2024 WJC, which will run from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5.

 

Conor Geekie – Canada

Conor Geekie was one of three first-round picks in the 2022 NHL Draft for general manager Bill Armstrong and company. When looking at the player, the first trait that stands out is his height. His 6-foot-4 frame gives him an edge before stepping onto the ice. This season has seen multitudes of success for the Minnedosa, Canada, native in the Western Hockey League. In 26 games with the Wenatchee Wild, he has 20 goals and 49 points. This puts him on a pace for 111 points, which would be a career-high for Geekie.

 

“Young players want to go on offense. They want to go play at the other end so they cheat and then pucks turn over and they have to play in their own end for half of their shift or longer because of it. That was a big thing with Conor [last] year,” [development coach Jeff] Shantz said. “He’s definitely a more of a 200-foot player who is stopping on pucks in his own end and as a centerman, he’s staying between the puck and his net when he’s in his own end, especially when there’s not full control. He’s not cheating as much. When you do a really good job of that as a centerman, you don’t have to play defense.”

Conor Geekie, Arizona Coyotes (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Going to the WJC, he can show his skills on the global stage. While Canada doesn’t have as potent of a roster as last tournament, they have loads of highly talented players. Geekie is likely to have a substantial role on the team and expect him to get power play minutes and a first or second-line role. This will be an ideal situation for the 19-year-old to shine with the eyes of an entire nation on him.

Maveric Lamoureux – Canada

Maveric Lamoureux was one of the most intriguing prospects taken at the 2022 NHL Draft. While defensemen tend to take a while to fully develop into what they are intended to be, Lamoureux is making waves in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). The mammoth defenseman stands tall at 6-foot-7 and, in his fourth season with the Drummondville Voltigeurs, has 27 points in 25 games. That’s the fourth most by any defenseman in the QMJHL and is maturing into his massive frame.

 

 

 

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The hope is that success in the QMJHL transfers across the Atlantic to Gothenburg, Sweden. Similar to Geekie, Lamoureux is expected to have a prominent role with the team. The defense corps comprises Denton Mateychuk, Oliver Bonk, Tanner Molendyk, and much more. We could see Lamoureux on the right side along with Mateychuk, but we won’t find out until Canada’s first game against Finland on Dec. 26.

Melker Thelin – Sweden

Melker Thelin was one of three netminders taken in the 2023 NHL Draft for the Coyotes. The Coyotes’ goalie pipeline nearly tripled at the 2023 NHL Draft, and Thelin was the second out of the bunch, being taken in the fifth round. The 18-year-old is playing for IF Björklöven of HockeyAllsvenskan and has a 2.77 goals-against average (GAA) and a .913 save percentage (SV%). Considering those stats, it’s been a solid season for him, and he’s showing signs of improvement every game.

“We didn’t take a goalie last year, and we knew this year was going to be a good goalie class,” [associate director of amateur scouting Ryan] Jankowski said. “Our goalie department [and scout Clay] Adams did an awesome job of making sure that we had every detail covered right from first round to seventh round. We could take a volume of goalies this year and that’s what you look to do when you have 12 picks.”

It’s not expected for Thelin to get the starting job for Sweden out of the gate, but if anything happens, he could take over the reins as the starter. He has limited experience in international competition, which could also be a deciding factor in how many games he will play, but it is a superb opportunity for him.

Adam Zlnka – Slovakia

The Coyotes had a lot of draft selections in 2021, and Adam Zlnka was one of them. He was taken in the seventh round and has yet to find his footing in the United States Hockey League (USHL) this season. He has five goals and eight points in 18 games with the Waterloo Blackhawks. The 19-year-old is already committed to Northeastern University for next season, but he has his eyes set on the WJC.

 

“He can skate, he can shoot, he can move the puck well, and he has good vision,” Waterloo head coach Matt Smaby said. “I think with some players a fresh start and a change of scenery can be a healthy thing, and he’s got an opportunity here. So we’re excited for him.”

The role he’ll have with Team Slovakia is undetermined, but if he can be on his A game, he could see significant minutes throughout the tournament, gaining bunches of confidence in the process.

Michael Hrabal – Czechia

Michael Hrabal has a chance to change a narrative surrounding the Coyotes organization for what seems like an eternity. Drafting and developing a prospect, or in this case, developing a goaltender. Hrabal was one of the first netminders taken in the 2023 NHL Draft and could be the goalie of the future down the line. This season, he’s impressed many at the University of Massachusetts. So far, he’s logged a 2.67 GAA and a .905 SV%, and for an 18-year-old playing his first season in collegiate hockey, this is a positive step forward.

Michael Hrabal, Arizona Coyotes (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Hrabal is set to be the starter in net for Czechia and will likely have a monumental role as they push towards a medal game. In front of him, he’ll have top prospects such as Jiří Kulich and Eduard Šalé and much more. Hrabal is one of the top prospects the Coyotes will have at the tournament, and it’ll be intriguing to see how he does.

Samu Bau – Finland

Samu Bau was taken in the sixth round of the 2023 NHL Draft by the Coyotes, and so far, this selection is raising more questions than answers. The Helinski, Finland native, has one goal in 30 games played for Ilves in the Liiga. He also is a minus-14, which is one of the worst on the team. While his stats aren’t impressive, he stands at 6-foot-5, something Armstrong looks for when drafting prospects.

“That’s always been Bill’s thing is to be big and if you look back at the St. Louis drafts, and even our drafts in Buffalo and Darryl’s drafts to some extent in Tampa, it was [about] getting some size and being big,” Jankowski added. “It did work out that way [for us]. It obviously speaks to what Vegas accomplished this year. You’ve got your Kellers and your Cooleys. You need to make sure you’ve got some support around them with some bigger players, too.”

Bau will play for a highly talented Finland team consisting of Kasper Halttunen and a top draft prospect in 2024, Konsta Helenius. It’ll be interesting to see his role as the tournament treks on, but his height should give him an advantage over others.

Julian Lutz – Germany

This time around, Germany is projected to have a rough tournament with the need for more talent, but they will have Julian Lutz at their disposal. Lutz has done a terrific job in the USHL this season with the Green Bay Gamblers, notching ten goals and 23 points in 19 games. This is his first season playing in North America, and the stats show he’s succeeding and, most importantly, developing.

“Having played each of the last two seasons in Germany’s top pro league, Lutz now will get a chance to familiarize himself with the North American style game, while also getting significantly more ice time than he was as a younger player in the pro ranks, Peters said. “Additionally, with his skillset, he should be an impactful player among his age peers in junior hockey.”

Julian Lutz, RB Muenchen (GEPA / RedBulls)

Team Germany won’t have many high-end players on their roster this tournament, but it’s safe to say Lutz will have a prominent role and could be the focal point of the team’s offense.

WJC Holds Promise For Coyotes’ Prospects

Every time this tournament rolls around, it’s compelling to see the future right in front of your eyes. It doesn’t matter if it’s a first or a seventh-round selection; it’s thrilling to know you may be watching a piece of the Coyotes or any team’s future. The tournament games will begin on Dec. 26 and end on Jan. 5 in what should be a competitive tournament. It’ll be intriguing to finally see what Armstrong is building in the desert on the global stage.