When Arizona Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong rose up in Montréal along with the rest of the scouting staff, who they’d draft posed ample questions. Dressed in the same colored suits, it was time for arguably the largest draft selection in franchise history. There were adequate options with a need for a center; projected first-overall pick Shane Wright was still on the board, which the Montréal Canadiens shockingly passed on him, taking Juraj Slafkovsky. However, when the words United States Development Program came out of the microphone, the arena immediately knew that Logan Cooley was a Coyote.
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It was a shocker. With Wright on the board, it was assumed the Coyotes would take him, but looking back, they made the correct decision, drafting Cooley third overall. He has shown glimpses of eliteness throughout his rookie season, which is evident in his skill. Today, we’ll look at how the Pittsburgh native has done compared to other Coyotes who had big rookie seasons. It hasn’t always been easy, but the three names listed below turned out pretty good, so let’s dive in.
Clayton Keller
Similar to Cooley, Clayton Keller was a one-and-done at Boston University, home of the Terriers. He had a marvelous freshman season, recording 21 goals and 45 points in 31 games. He then signed his entry-level contract (ELC) with the Coyotes. The seventh overall draft pick in 2016 had lots of hype heading into his first season in the NHL, and it’s safe to say he justified it with his blazing rookie season.
The St. Louis native put up a staggering 23 goals and 65 points for what would place him second in the Calder Trophy voting behind New York Islander Mathew Barzal. Through 43 games in Keller’s rookie season, he had 13 goals and 32 points, an extremely impressive pace. It’s also noteworthy that he was on a Coyotes team that finished nearly dead last in the league, and the offensive firepower wasn’t always present. That meant most of the time, they had to rely on the youngster in Keller to provide. With Cooley, they aren’t necessarily doing that; there are many more options on the roster.
Keller followed up his rookie season with some disappointing play, having two consecutive seasons with under 50 points. It’s interesting to look at Cooley and Keller, but a potential better comparable is the former Chicago Blackhawk, Nick Schmaltz.
Nick Schmaltz
Schmaltz is the only player on this list not to be drafted by the Coyotes. He was drafted by the Blackhawks in 2016 with the 20th overall selection. He is a very crafty and creative player, and being drafted to Chicago only fueled their firepower. However, like Cooley, Schmaltz didn’t come shooting out of the cannon like Keller did; he struggled quite a bit, and at times, it wasn’t pretty.
Through 43 games, just two games over the midway point of the season, the Madison, Wisconsin native had six goals and 17 points. He also spent a chunk of time in the American Hockey League (AHL), where he put up solid numbers, registering nine points in 12 games. He ended up finishing the season with 28 points in 61 games. Cooley already has 21 points in 43 games, for comparison. However, it was Schmaltz’s sophomore season when he became more dynamic. His 52 points in his second season showed what the former 20th overall pick could do, and the sky seemed to be the limit.
In his junior season, he was traded to the Coyotes for Dylan Strome and Brendan Perlini. Schmaltz is among the Coyotes’ elite players, and he didn’t have a magical rookie season as Keller did.
Matias Maccelli
The most recent of the bunch is none other than the Finnish surprise, Matias Maccelli. Cooley was a top draft pick, as many already know, and so was Keller and Schmaltz. Maccelli, however, was not, as he fell to the fourth round, taken 98th overall in 2019. It’s rare to hit on draft picks after the first round, but to hit on a fourth-round pick is quite spectacular.
2021-22 was Maccelli’s first season with the Coyotes organization after spending a pair of seasons with the Dubuque Fighting Saints in the United States Hockey League (USHL). He kicked things off in the AHL; as mentioned, he wasn’t a top draft pick and would play with the Tucson Roadrunners. His team-leading 57 points blew the staff away, and he was called up for 23 games. He had just one goal and six points in those games, but for a prospect many did not know, he was on the path to success.
His rookie season consisted of his ability to pass the puck through tight seams and being a dynamic playmaker. Through 43 games, he had stats nearly identical to Cooley’s, with four goals and 30 points. He capped it off with an impressive 49 points but just missed the Calder voting. Maccelli also only played 64 games; he missed the majority of January due to injury. With Maccelli being one of the many bright spots on the Coyotes, seeing the similarities between his and Cooley’s rookie seasons should only be a good thing.
Cooley Taking Strides in Positive Direction
Recently, Cooley has been taking significant strides in the correct direction. Earlier in the season, not many could say that, but it truly appears he is on the brink of breaking out. Particularly in the past few games, and while he hasn’t capitalized on all of his opportunities, he’s creating offense and becoming a playmaker. At the end of the day, that’s the growth Armstrong wants to see out of the 19-year-old this season. It’s not all about the glitz and glamor of having points every game; it’s creating an identity and becoming an elite player. He will be a dynamic player in this franchise sooner or later, and he’s blossoming right in front of our eyes.