Logan Cooley had an impressive rookie season with the Arizona Coyotes. He tallied 20 goals and 24 assists while playing in all 82 games. He is in the second year of his three-year entry-level contract at $950,000 annually. That means after this next season is completed, he will be eligible for a new contract.
Related: Reviewing Utah’s Logan Cooley’s Rookie Season in the NHL
As the Utah Hockey Club did with Dylan Guenther, he can be signed to a long-term deal in the summer of 2025. Guenther penned a substantial eight-year $57.14 million contract on Sept. 20, amounting to an average annual value (AAV) of $7.14 million.
Justifying Cooley’s Potential New Contract
If Cooley continues his excellent play, Utah must retain his services for years. He and Guenther have created a connection on the ice. Since the duo started playing on the same line in January, they have combined for eight goals, with Cooley collecting five and Guenther three. They just seem to click and when you get two players who know each other’s moves, the red light comes on.
The sky’s the limit for Guenther and Cooley’s potential.
The same chemistry appeared when Max Domi and Anthony Duclair paired up on the same line for those who followed the Coyotes. They were referred to as the “Killer Ds.”
Considering both players are young, they have an outstanding future with their new team in Utah. Cooley turned 20 in May, and Guenther is 21. The Utah Hockey Club currently has about $9.92 million in cap space. According to hockey insider Elliotte Friedman, with the estimated increase in the cap limit going to $92.5 million, there will be plenty of space to extend Cooley.
While Cooley started slowly as he adjusted to the NHL, he came on strong in the last half of the 2023-24 season. He scored 17 goals and seven assists in his final 41 games. One might say, he adjusted rather well to the NHL.
While the Utah Hockey Club had to give up on another young prospect in Conor Geekie to obtain Mikhail Sergachev, they certainly can use the likes of Cooley to bring this team toward their goal of a playoff berth. Acquiring Guenther with the ninth overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft certainly has helped this team’s rebuild to excel. Drafting Cooley third overall in 2022 was icing on the cake.
Projecting Cooley’s 2024-25 Stats
While THW’s Parker Beh, Chase Beardsley, and Cooper Kirgbaum recently predicted some Utah Hockey Club stats, Cooley still needs to be addressed. So, I think we should do that now. This writer predicts Cooley will score 28 goals and 32 assists to hit the 60-point threshold. It’s not rocket science to say he can be that successful.
He possesses terrific speed and is always around the puck. His hockey IQ is right there and the fact that he has one NHL season under his belt is always a good thing. He credits veteran Jason Zucker whom he played with for showing him some pointers. Now, he’s ready to show the NHL that he indeed does belong.
It can be that Cooley could have a sophomore “jinx” season, but it is doubtful, especially if he lines up with Guenther. With Cooley’s adept playmaking and Guenther’s cannon of a shot, how can they miss? The only downfall could be an injury, and Cooley played all 82 games last season to show his stamina is there.
Improvements Cooley Must Master
As a centerman, Cooley has a less-than-impressive 38 percent faceoff win statistic. Perhaps he can be shown a few tricks by newcomer veteran Kevin Stenlund, who possesses an excellent 50.6 faceoff win ratio. That’s what the veterans on the team can contribute to help out the young guys.
He also can bulk up a bit to avoid being trampled by larger NHL players. At 174 pounds, he can be pushed off the puck no matter what his hard work may include.
His second year in the league will be more learning and executing the essentials of being a center in the NHL. He will make mistakes, but as long as he learns from them, he will become the player he wants to be.
