Rome was not built in one day, and neither will the Arizona Coyotes. Building a sustainable winner takes time and has a process, much like most things in life. General manager Bill Armstrong illustrated this when he was hired in 2020, warning fans that it won’t be an easy process. All prospects take various amounts of time to reach the NHL; no one has the same route.
After two painful seasons, tanking, as most people will call it, some prospects are slowly flowing into the system. The most popular is Logan Cooley, who was the third overall draft selection in 2022. However, a glut of other prospects in the ranks are finding their way and learning what it will take to play in the NHL someday. Today, we’ll check in on Dylan Guenther, Miko Matikka, and Michael Hrabal.
Dylan Guenther Lighting Up the AHL
Guenther has been through it all to start his young pro hockey career. First, it was with the Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Hockey League (WHL), then making the Coyotes roster, until he was eventually sent back down to the WHL. This time, it was to the Seattle Thunderbirds. After this past preseason, Armstrong determined he still wasn’t quite ready for the NHL, so he was sent down to the American Hockey League (AHL). This move was purely about his development, and there’s no reason to play him in the NHL if he’s not ready.
Related: Coyotes Should Let Dylan Guenther Continue to Thrive in the AHL
In the AHL, Guenther is finding multitudes of success. He has six goals and 19 points in 22 games, which ranks him atop the point leaders for the Tucson Roadrunners. The 20-year-old is also finding points that aren’t just on the power play. He is scoring and creating chances at five-on-five, and that’s one of the key areas he needed to work on when he was sent down. The question now looms: when will he be back with the Coyotes? We don’t know, but it could be relatively soon with the masses of injuries the Coyotes have faced. However, his development is all that matters, so Armstrong could opt to keep him in Tucson for the entire season.
Time will tell, but Guenther is doing exactly what was asked of him in the AHL so far.
Matikka Gaining Invaluable Experience in NCAA
Matikka was one of two Coyotes 2022 third-round picks, and it’s looking like he could be a steal. At the time, there were little expectations for the Finnish forward, as most people were foreign to his game. After a season in the United States Hockey League (USHL) with the Waterloo Blackhawks and Madison Capitals, he is starting to catch people’s attention. Between the two teams, he notched 55 points in 58 games, which, for the most part, was a good milestone for the 20-year-old.
“At times last year in the USHL, he was able to get away with just trading chances off the rush,” said Coyotes director of player development Lee Stempniak. “That’s not really sustainable as you move up to college hockey, and especially to the NHL. You need to find ways to generate offense off of offensive zone possessions, and I think he’s learning that and doing a better job with that.”
This season brings new challenges for Matikka in the college hockey universe. Fortunately, he is playing with one of the best teams in the nation, Denver University. In his first collegiate season, he has 11 goals and 15 points in 17 games. After a rough start to the season, he is finally finding his ground, and the stat sheet shows it. He has been a goalscorer no matter where he was, but to see this translate with Denver is immense for his development. While he is still a couple of years out, seeing this play out of Matikka is encouraging.
Hrabal Could Be the Coyotes’ Netminder of the Future
The Coyotes have had some highly talented goaltenders in the past few seasons, Adin Hill and Darcy Kuemper, to name a few. You’d think that they would be able to develop goalies, too, right? Well, you’d be wrong since it’s a complete flip of the script, as they’ve struggled mightily with developing goalies through the draft. However, after selecting Hrabal 38th overall in the 2023 NHL Draft, things could be near an end, as he could be the next franchise netminder.
While that puts high expectations on the Czech goalie, he has stood up to the task at hand this season in the NCAA. Playing for the University of Massachusetts, he is off to a solid start, playing 12 games and having a 2.67 goals-against average (GAA) and a .905 save percentage (SV%). This is quite good for a 19-year-old playing against some much older players. Similar to most goalies, they take plenty of time to develop; Hrabal will likely be the same, and he won’t be in the NHL anytime soon.
However, seeing this play at his age could make an argument he could be ready sooner than most expect. Hrabal is also set to play for Team Czechia at the World Junior Championship, providing another opportunity on the world stage.
How Are Other Prospects Doing?
- As mentioned in the latest news & rumors piece, Connor Geekie has been on an unreal tear in the WHL. As a first-round pick, expectations are high, and this season, all expectations have been blown out the door. In his first 26 games, he has 49 points and is on pace for 117 points. That would shatter his career high of 77. Geekie is slowly but surely showing his capabilities and is making his case to be in a Kachina jersey next season. Geekie will travel to Gothenburg, Sweden, to play for Team Canada in the World Junior Championship.
- Before the 2023-24 season, most were preparing for the upcoming season. While Julian Lutz was doing so, he was also switching to North American ice, specifically the USHL. He struggled in the early portions of the season, not using the tools everyone knew he had. But now he is, and it’s showing. In 19 games, he has 23 points and is on pace for well over a point per game. Lutz has the potential to play a significant role in the Coyotes’ future, so seeing his development progress will be paramount.
- The legend of Shane Doan will forever be cemented into the Coyotes organization, whether it’s the number 19 or a mention of the last name Doan. Yet, his son, Josh Doan, who signed his pro contract last season, is delivering in the AHL. Josh has been a goal-scoring monster with the Roadrunners this season, having ten in 22 games while playing an excellent two-way game. The key now for Josh is consistency. Maintaining this high level of play will eventually reward him with a call-up to the NHL, and it’s only a matter of time until he gets that call.
- The Coyotes were loaded with draft selections at the 2023 NHL Draft, and one of four third-round picks is making surges in the NCAA. When I spoke to Jonathan Castagna this past summer, the goal entering his first season with Cornell University was to come in with an open mind and prove to himself that he belongs. So far, he’s done that, notching seven points in his first 11 games. Castagna still has a lot of season to go, including a trip to Mullett Arena in mid-January. So far, Cornell has been a picture-perfect match for Castagna early in his NCAA career.