The Arizona Coyotes have formed a foundation which they have built upon since general manager Bill Armstrong has come to town. Whether it’s the multitude of draft assets they’ve accumulated or locking up the core group of players that will hope to win a Stanley Cup one day. However, none have been hyped up as much as Logan Cooley. He is likely the best prospect the Coyotes have had in their history, yet, at the season’s quarter mark, his play leaves more questions than answers.
Every player coming into the NHL will struggle; it’s inevitable. That’s the nature of the league: one moment, they’ll be atop the world, and the next, they’ll be at rock bottom. For Cooley, he has seen just that, but 20 games into the season, there is room for a vast improvement in his game. Then again, he’s only played 20 games in his NHL career, and usually, this will be the toughest stretch, as adjusting and adapting can be difficult. The stat sheet may prove he’s been, as advertised, a playmaker, but diving deeper, there is some area for minimal concern.
Cooley’s Been Below Average Five on Five & Not Having That ‘Edge’
If anything has stood out to the Coyotes and their fans, it’s been Cooley’s below-average play at five-on-five. There’s no sugarcoating it when it’s just the truth. While he does have the second-highest points for rookies, it doesn’t feel that way, and when watching him, the electricity that ran through him in college hasn’t been seen in the NHL yet. He’s making far too many turnovers, and it’s hurting the team when they’re in the offensive zone. Defensively, too, when he isn’t getting back or covering his man, it’s not helping this team win games.
Another aspect of his game that was said most skilled players had was that ‘edge,’ that grittiness. In college and at the 2022 World Juniors, he showed this, that second effort, or bringing the physicality. This was something that made him Logan Cooley, something that made him a top prospect unlike others. However, that has not been showcased this season, though it’s something everyone knows he has. It’s only a matter of time until he shows his true colors, but as mentioned, it’s just his first 20 games; the most important thing is what the next 20 will look like for the 19-year-old.
Not Finding Shooting Lanes
One of the many attributes of Cooley’s game that scouts praised was his blistering shot. He had 22 goals last season with the Minnesota Gophers for a reason; it wasn’t just luck. However, he has been deferring to others and opting for the pass rather than shooting it. This has been problematic for Cooley because he is a great shooter, and it appears it could almost be a confidence issue. A good example was against the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday night (Nov. 25) when he had three opportunities to shoot it, yet turned it over trying to make a pretty pass.
Related: Coyotes’ Logan Cooley Is Team’s Next Star
He’s still adjusting to the game, and that’s perfectly fine, but eventually, he’ll need to be selfish and shoot the puck. Diving deeper on that, Cooley has 31 shots on goal so far this season, an uptick from the start of his rookie campaign. Two other Calder Trophy contenders, Connor Bedard and Adam Fantilli, are the exact opposite of Cooley. Bedard has 54 shots on goal this season, and Fantilli has 58. That’s nearly double what Cooley has, and the impact goes beyond the stat sheet.
Cooley will eventually gain the confidence we all saw in college, but sometimes, taking the selfish play is the better play.
Linemates Causing Chemistry Issues?
We’ve seen how linemates can completely change a player. It happened when Barrett Hayton was put with Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz toward the latter half of the 2022-23 season. He exploded offensively and resurrected his career in the desert. With Cooley, he has already seen an abundance of players lined up on his wings. First, it was Jason Zucker and Dylan Guenther. Once Guenther got sent down, they needed another winger, so they put Swiss Army knife Alex Kerfoot on his other side.
That line has been together for the most part until injury woes came about. To list a few, Jack McBain, Zucker, Hayton, and even more have piled up on the backend. That garnered change, and head coach André Tourigny had to shake things up. That’s when he recently decided to place Cooley on the top line, being paired with Keller and Schmaltz. In the two games he’s played with the highly talented forwards, it’s gone alright, though it was exceptional towards the second half of the Coyotes’ 2-0 win against the Golden Knights on Saturday.
Once Hayton returns, lots of questions will be at hand, but for now, Cooley is finding some chemistry with Keller and Schmaltz.
Is It Even Remotely Possible to See Cooley Sent Down to the AHL?
This seems like an outlandish question because, for the most part, it is. That being said, what happens if these next 20 games don’t see some improvement? Armstrong didn’t hesitate to send Guenther down to the Tucson Roadrunners, so if Cooley continues to struggle, is a demotion to Tucson a possibility? The short answer is yes, but he would have to regress to be sent down. It’s something Cooley and the fanbase wouldn’t like, considering he’s been the focal point of the marketing, but if it’s best for the player’s development, Armstrong may have to.
As mentioned, the chances of this happening are extremely low, but if this is something that needs to happen, you hope Armstrong and company can pull the trigger. Whether it’s a depth defenseman or a top prospect in Cooley, all should be treated in the sense of what’s best for their development. Cooley leads all rookies in assists with 11 and should get more looks on the first line; it’s now a matter of execution and capitalizing.
“He will figure it out,” Tourigny said. “He just needs to calm down offensively. He’s forcing the play. He needs to get inside and be consistent defensively. “His progression and challenges are normal for a young guy. We were expecting it. We will do the right thing with him.”
These next 20 games will be vital, but Tourigny trusts Cooley will figure it out.
Despite Early Season Woes, Cooley Will Be Just Fine
All of these issues are very real and things to keep tabs on; however, it’s a great reminder that he is just 19 years old. These next 20 games will be extremely important for his development and his confidence as he pushes to take that next step forward. Sooner or later, the team should also be getting McBain back, providing much stability down the middle. It’s no secret the NHL is the best league in the world, and once Cooley finds his stride, the sky is the limit for the youngster.
