Despite only 28 victories, 3 fewer than the Canadian, and a 27th place in the general ranking, we are very satisfied with this second season of reconstruction in Arizona. As proof, general manager Bill Armstrong and coach André Tourigny received contract extensions.
We were destined for the last place in the general classification for the Coyotes, but they were more competitive than expected. Montreal, San Jose, Chicago, Columbus and Anaheim fared worse.
Center Barrett Hayton, the fifth overall pick in 2018 who we were starting to despair about, broke through with 43 points in 82 games, but 40 in his last 55 games. Clayton Keller had his best season at age 24 with 86 points.
An unexpected contribution came from some defenders. Claimed off waivers, Juuso Valimaki, a first-round pick of the Calgary Flames in 2017, had 34 points. Switzerland’s J.J. Moser, drafted in the second round in 2021 at age 21, had 31 points and played an average of 21 minutes per game.
We will not deviate from the plan in Arizona. The Coyotes continue to accumulate assets. They drafted three times in the first round in 2022 and twice in the second round, twice in the first round in 2023, once in the second round and four times in the third round, and they will draft…16 times in the first three rounds in the next two vintages!
This year, they welcome the gifted Logan Cooley, the third overall pick in 2022, after Juraj Slafkovsky and Simon Nemec, after his 60-point season in 39 games at the University of Minnesota. Cooley had four points, including three goals, in four preseason games.
The arrival of defenders Matt Dumba and Sean Durzi, obtained from the Kings, will strengthen this position.
At 25 years old, the colossus Lawson Crouse has just had his best career season, 24 goals and 45 points. He had reached the 30-point mark for the first time in his career the year before.
Logan Cooley attracts all the attention, with good reason, but young forward Dylan Guenther will also be one to watch, even if he will start the season in the American League. This 2021 first-round pick, 9th overall, played 33 games in Arizona last year before being loaned to his junior team.
Drafted 11th overall in 2019, ahead of Matt Boldy and Cole Caufield, among others, defenseman Victor Soderstrom is slow to make his mark in the NHL.
28-14-14, 70 points
7th in the division
Excluded from series
Christian Fischer, Zack Kassian, Patrik Nemeth
Logan Cooley, Jason Zucker, Matt Dumba, Sean Durzi, Alex Kerfoot, Nick Bjugstad
