PHOENIX – Like 28 other NHL teams, the Arizona Coyotes wish they had the first overall pick in this month’s NHL Entry Draft. Also, like 28 other teams, the Coyotes would love to use that pick to select Auston Matthews. Not only has he been long ordained as the best player in this draft class, he was raised a Coyotes fan. Though he was born in California, his family moved to Scottsdale when Auston was just a couple of months old. He grew up and learned to play hockey in the Valley of the Sun, having been introduced to the game by his Uncle, a Coyotes season ticket holder.
But as much as the Coyotes would love to have Auston, and as good as that would be for the hometown team, it is about as likely to happen as a frost warning in Phoenix. The Coyotes would have to give up All-Star defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and/or rookie sensation Max Domi to acquire the top pick. Given that virtually everybody in the organization has stated flatly that that will never happen, we can move on from that possibility.
Since the Coyotes’ dream draftee will be long gone by the time they choose the seventh overall pick, they will have to look deeper into the draft pool. As you would expect of a team that finished with the league’s fifth worst record, the Coyotes’ needs are many and widely varied.
Their goaltending is probably where they’re least likely to spend high draft choices. Mike Smith is the de facto #1, barring injury, for the foreseeable future. Louis Domingue is likely their backup for at least the next couple of years (he’s a Restricted Free Agent, but the team is likely to re-sign him).
Their defense finished last season as the league’s third worst, but they have a lot of good young talent in their minor-league system. What they need is some solid leadership on defense. Since you can’t draft experience, the team will likely look to add a veteran presence via free agency or trade.
Their scoring is in need of help, but again they have a lot of good, young talent in the pipeline. They could also use one good natural scorer. They are always looking for good scorers of any age or experience level. Traditionally, they tend to draft the best player available, regardless of immediate needs.
Additionally, the Coyotes have had a long history of drafting NHL legacy players (sons/brothers of current and/or former NHL players). In recent years they have drafted Connor Murphy (son of former Philadelphia Flyer Gord Murphy), Henrik Samuelsson (son of Ulf Samuelsson), Ryan MacInnis (son of former Calgary Flame Al MacInnis), etc.
There are three players in the early part of this draft that fit into that category.
The first is Matthew Tkachuk, son of former Phoenix Coyote Keith Tkachuk. Matthew would be a great fit, but it is unlikely that his name will still be on the board when the Coyotes’ turn comes at #7. Matthew is a power forward, finishing 5th in the OHL last season before leading all players with 20 goals in the playoffs. His dominant performance led the London Knights to a Memorial Cup championship and drew comparisons to his father, one of the NHL’s best power forwards over the last 25 years.
Another possibility is Jakob Chychrun. His father, Jeff, played 262 games in the NHL, also a former Flyer, and had a couple of brief stops in Phoenix with the IHL’s Roadrunners. Jakob is a solid 2-way defender with good size and offensive skills. He is strong at both ends of the ice. If the Coyotes were inclined to draft based on positional need, they need look no farther than Jakob Chychrun.
The third, and who we believe is the most likely candidate for the Coyotes is Alexander Nylander. Alexander is the son of Michael Nylander, who played 920 NHL games over the span of a 15-year career. Alex is a gifted scorer, leading all OHL rookies with 75 points in 57 games. He averaged two points per game (6-6-12) in his team’s six-game, opening round playoff loss to the Barrie Colts. He has the kind of offensive talent that is always in demand.
This will be an interesting draft for the Coyotes due to their newly restructured front office. New General Manager John Chayka is a stats-oriented guy. His background before getting into team management was in analytics. It’s natural to assume that the team will draft with a heavy emphasis on player statistics.
But, with the newly expanded role of Head Coach Dave Tippett (who now holds the additional title of Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations), he will likely have a more hands-on approach to player-personnel decisions. This means that he will likely have a voice in the draft process that could mean more “Tippett-type” players drafted in the later rounds.
Regardless, the team will likely hold to form and draft the best-skilled player available when their number comes up.
“The Arizona Coyotes would like to use the #7 overall pick to select, from the Mississauga Ice Dogs, Alexander Nylander.”
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