GLENDALE, Az – The Arizona Coyotes are in the second year of their reboot. Last summer, they hit the reset button on their rebuild (which was already in its second year). They cut ties with their longest-tenured Captain (Shane Doan), traded their starting goaltender of the previous six seasons (Mike Smith), and fired their Head Coach (Dave Tippett). This came just one season after replacing General Manager Don Maloney with the NHL’s youngest GM in history, John Chayka. 
With the Chayka era now in full swing, we are already beginning to see his stamp on the team. He has shown no fear in making bold moves to improve the team, either to meet immediate needs or to build for the future. His draft strategy leans toward taking the best player available without regard for positional needs. The team’s philosophy is to allow prospects to develop without trying to rush them to the NHL, so they don’t draft players they need now, unless there is an obvious exceptional (read “NHL-ready”) talent available.
Regardless, there is always a market for good defensive players, so Chayka tends to value them a little higher. There are several good defensive prospects available in this year’s draft. While Rasmus Dahlin is a virtual certainty to be taken with the first overall pick, there are still expected to be a couple of good defensemen on the board at #5.
One of these defenseman is Noah Dobson who just won a Memorial Cup championship with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the QMJHL. He needs to fill out his 6’3″, 179 lb. frame but is a strong skater and plays well at both ends of the ice. He is strong in his defensive positioning and has excellent offensive instincts, coupled with a hard shot and soft hands.
Also in the mix is Quinn Hughes out of the University of Michigan. He is an undersized defenseman (5′ 10″, 170 lbs) with excellent speed and puckhandling/playmaking ability. What he lacks in size he makes up for in defensive positioning and has a strong transitional element to his game.
Most prominent among the defensemen available at #5 is Evan Bouchard of the London Knights (OHL). He has good size (6’2″, 192 lbs) and excellent skating ability in all directions. Coupled with his strong decision-making, his highly developed offensive instincts make him an excellent all-around defenseman. He is excellent at anticipating plays and staying a step ahead. He has a strong work ethic and excellent defensive positioning. With that said, expect the Coyotes to make the following announcement later this month.
“With the 5th overall draft pick, the Arizona Coyotes select, from Oakville, Ontario, defenseman Evan Bouchard.”
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