Arizona Coyotes Prospect Check-In

The Arizona Coyotes prospect pool is arguably one of the deepest pools in the NHL. From Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther to Matias Maccelli and Victor Söderström, an argument comes to light that the future for the Coyotes is bright, and built to be great.

Headline story of the 2021 NHL for the Coyotes was the forfeiture of their 1st round pick following an investigation concluded the violation of the League’s NHL Draft Combine Policy.

Dylan Guenther was added to the organization following the Coyotes trade with the Vancouver Canucks that sent Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Conor Garland north of the border. The Coyotes got the 9th overall pick in the NHL Draft, along with Loui Eriksson, Jay Beagle, and Antoine Roussel. Guenther was drafted out of the Western Hockey League, where he played for the Edmonton Oil Kings. After being drafted, as is the case with many first round draft picks, made an appearance in 33 games with the Coyotes, recording six goals, nine assists and totalling 15 points before being sent back to the WHL to play with the Seattle Thunderbirds. Guenther began the 2023-24 season with the Tucson Roadrunners before being recalled to the NHL after posting 28 points in 29 games, tallying 10 goals and 18 assists. Guenther has appeared in nine games with the Coyotes and has recorded six points, split across equal numbers in goals and assists, with three each.

Josh Doan was the second of notable draft picks in the 2021 NHL Draft. For starters, the name. Doan, son of Coyotes legend and long-time captain Shane Doan, was drafted by his dad, in the sense that his dad made the call and made the announcement, but Shane Doan was added onto the Coyotes staff as Chief Hockey Development officer, so he was apart of the front office staff that made Josh a Coyote. Since joining the team, J. Doan stayed local, attending Arizona State University to play for highly revered and respected head coach Greg Powers where he spent two seasons and appeared in a combined 74 games marking 28 goals and 47 assists, for a grand total of 75 points, while also being given the captain’s ‘C’ in his second year with the university. After his second season, Doan left the Sun Devils, to turn pro and joined the Roadrunners. In the conclusion of the 2022-23 season, he appeared in 14 games, with six points split evenly across goals and assists. This season, Doan is at 25 points in 38 games, with 15 goals and 10 assists.

Logan Cooley was added in the first round of the 2022 NHL Draft, when everyone thought that if Shane Wright slipped, whoever was next, needed to draft him. Bill Armstrong passed on Wright, and stayed true to their original projection, nabbing Cooley. Cooley finished his last year in the NCAA with the Minnesota Golden Gophers, where he logged 60 points in 39 games with 22 goals and 38 assists. Cooley cracked the Coyotes roster, and has been on the roster for all 46 games of this season. Besides absolutely UNBELIEVABLE plays like his assist on the goal by Jason Zucker Monday, Cooley has added a value to the Coyotes roster that is far from replaceable. His five goals in 18 games has been an important add on to the youth and talent on the ice for the Coyotes this season.

Sam Lipkin‘s name is not one commonly talked about in the conversation of “future NHL stars,” but the future is bright for Lipkin. During his time in the United States Hockey League with the Chicago Steel, Lipkin recorded 39 goals and 43 assists, for 82 points in 89 games. Lipkin appeared in all 39 games for Quinnipiac University last season and has played in 23 this year, whilst tallying 25 goals and 45 assists for 70 total points in less than 65 games. Lipkin’s chemistry while with the Chicago Steel, that he was able to build with Doan will prove to come in handy during his time with the Roadrunners and eventually, the Coyotes.

Conor Geekie has been one of the highest anticipated prospects amongst Coyotes fans. Geekie’s older brother Morgan, is currently rostered with the Boston Bruins. Currently on his second WHL team this season, Geekie has put up six points in five games for the Swift Current Broncos. His first stint on the year was with the Wenatchee Wild, where in 26 games pre-World Juniors, he posted 49 points, 20 goals, and 29 assists. Prior to this season in the WHL, Geekie was on the Winnipeg Ice, where he played in 160 games across four seasons and marked 68 goals with 102 assists for a total of 170 points. His production has been consistent, and his numbers have been above average while in the WHL, helping to boost his confidence on the transition to the NHL.