Arizona Coyotes dominate opening night of NHL Draft

MONTREAL – The Arizona Coyotes took no prisoners in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft on Thursday.

The Coyotes used the No. 3 pick on center Logan Cooley, an 18-year-old out of Pennsylvania, and acquired Conor Geekie, the 11th selection, in a trade with the San Jose Sharks for the No. 27 pick and two second-rounders (No. 34 and No. 45).

Arizona’s third and final pick Thursday evening was Canadian defenseman Maveric Lamoureux.

Geekie, 18, a 6-foot-3, 196-pound forward from Manitoba, Canada, played for the Winnipeg Ice in the Western Hockey League last year, scoring 24 goals with 46 assists in 63 games. Geekie’s brother, Morgan, is a center playing for the Seattle Kraken.

“I like the hot weather, too, so that’s a plus,” Geekie said on ESPN.

Arizona received its original second first-round pick in September 2021 in a trade that sent Christian Dvorak to the Montreal Canadiens. It received the less favorable of Montreal and the Carolina Hurricanes’ picks, which was the 27th pick.

The Yotes acquired the No. 32 pick by trading goalie Darcy Kuemper to the Colorado Avalanche for Conor Timmins last July. Arizona also received a 2024 conditional third-round pick in the same trade after the Avs won the Stanley Cup last month.

The Coyotes also landed one last shock as they traded the No. 32 pick to the Edmonton Oilers for the No. 29 pick and veteran defenseman Zach Kassian.

The trade was latest in a squall of moves made by general manager Bill Armstrong since he took over the job from Steve Sullivan in 2020.

The Coyotes have five picks set for Friday, with rounds 2-7 set to begin at 11 a.m. ET.

Ryan O'Hara

Award-winning sportswriter from Denver, Colorado.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Tig Iginla, Cole Beaudoin, and other at Utah Hockey Club's Development Camp

Utah Hockey Club Off-Season Review: Draft Picks, Key Signings, and a New Era

The Utah Hockey Club has made waves in its first off-season as an organization. From notable trades, free agent signings, and entry-level contracts, the Hockey Club is looking to make improvements from its former Arizona team.  In the biggest milestone of the offseason, Utah had an interesting showing at the 2024 NHL Draft. With their […]

Read More

ECHL: Florida Everblades Lose Josling, Re-Sign Rookie Forward

The Florida Everblades will be without a key piece of their 2023-24 team as Sean Josling is heading overseas to play in Slovakia after spending four years in the ECHL. Josling began his career with the Wheeling Nailers before being traded to the Florida Everblades in March 2023. The 25-year-old forward has put up 63 […]

Read More

Dallas Stars Will Have the Toughest Travel Schedule

The Dallas Stars will have the toughest travel schedule with 56,700 miles in the 2024-25 NHL season, while the Pittsburgh Penguins will have the easiest travel schedule with 31,500 miles. This may or may not be an advantage for either professional hockey team. Read on for further details surrounding these two teams. According to B/R […]

Read More