The Arizona Coyotes have had a jam-packed summer, adding veterans Jason Zucker, Alex Kerfoot, and Nick Bjugstad. Their 2022 first-rounder and arguably the most hyped Coyotes prospect, Logan Cooley, also announced his signing with the Coyotes. While there are plenty of other exciting factors in store, there’s still an abundance of unanswered questions. Here are three questions heading into the 2023-24 season.
How Will Cooley Perform in His Rookie Season?
When general manager Bill Armstrong took the stage in Montréal, there was a myriad of possibilities the team could take. After Juraj Slafkovsky and Simon Nemec went first and second, respectively, the team had a franchise-altering decision to make. Do they take the consensus first overall, Shane Wright or Cooley? Well, all that’s history, and it’s safe to say the Coyotes made the right move with Cooley. After GETTING selected, he joined Bob Motzko’s squad at the University of Minnesota, where he registered 60 points in 39 games, along with being a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award.
Related: Coyotes’ Young Core Ready to Lead the Future
So what type of season should Coyote fans expect from Cooley in his rookie year? From his days at the United States National Development Team Program (USNTDP) to Minnesota, he has been a dynamic playmaker. He can create plays out of thin ice and is a wizard with the puck. With the help of teammates Clayton Keller, Barrett Hayton, and Nick Schmaltz, Cooley should find himself getting plenty of support from the Coyotes’ young stars. Of course, another season at Minnesota wouldn’t have hurt, but he’s already getting reps in with NHL-level players.
“It’s definitely going to be an adjustment but during the summer I’ve been training with guys like JT Miller and Vince Trocheck, just learning little things from them to help me adapt in the NHL,” he said. “It’s gonna take some time, but I’m really looking forward to it.”
It’s hard to predict what his exact stat line will look like, but it’s likely he won’t be stepping up into a first-line role right away. That would be unwise, as neither Keller nor Schmaltz possesses the size to protect Cooley. A better fit would probably be alongside newcomer Jason Zucker and long-time Coyote Lawson Crouse. The Pittsburgh native has a chance to win the Calder Trophy, but he’ll have to beat out Chicago Blackhawk and 2023 first-overall pick Connor Bedard.
Will Keller Continue Dominance?
There was much uncertainty when Keller crashed into the boards on March 30 against the San Jose Sharks and fractured his femur. Despite all the outside noise, he had the best year of his career, notching 37 goals for 86 points in 82 games. “I knew deep down that I could bounce back and have a great year, but doing it’s a whole nother thing,” he said. “I proved it to myself this year and I’m just super happy to be here. So many people in my life made a lot of sacrifices to get me to this point today — teammates, family, friends — and I definitely wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for all of them.”
Keller’s had his fair share of inconsistencies from season to season early in his career, especially the couple of years after his breakout rookie campaign. However, it looks like he’ll continue improving every season, especially based on his play last year. Keller showed off his underrated shot and his dynamic playmaking ability, which made it easier for a guy like Hayton to get involved. The St. Louis native looks to be just getting started as he is becoming the leader and superstar the Coyotes need. With the organization still not having a captain since Oliver Ekman-Larsson, it raises even more questions if the 25-year-old could be named captain soon.
“I do believe in the future of our team and I hope the arena gets sorted out,” he said. “It doesn’t make sense to me how the arena vote didn’t go through. I really didn’t get it, and not many other people did. I’m just hoping that they can set a plan here sooner than later and have a more competitive team leading up to a new rink.”
Where Will the Team Finish?
It’s no secret that the Coyotes have been at the bottom of the standings for what seems like an eternity, but those days seem to be coming to an end. After picking within the top ten in the past three drafts, some of those first-round picks are slowly coming into the conversation. Prospects like Cooley and Dylan Guenther are expected to be on the NHL roster and could make a significant impact during the 2023-24 season. Along with the veterans that general manager Bill Armstrong brought on board this offseason in Zucker, Kerfoot, Bjugstad, and more, who’ll look to make an immediate impact.
The Coyotes will run it back with netminders Karel Vejmelka and Connor Ingram; both showed much promise last season. They also have brought in defenseman Sean Durzi via trade with the Los Angeles Kings, which should give the team some help on the back end.
After all the additions, where will the Coyotes finish in the standings? Off the bat, it’s fair to assume this team still won’t be close to the playoffs. Last season, they finished with 70 points, placing them 27th in the league. With the improved roster, it’s likely they’ll make a jump forward. A fair estimate would be around the 80-point mark; while the team added help on the defensive side of things, there’s still much uncertainty. Despite this, the team should be much more competitive next season, which should give Coyote fans optimism.
Bright Future Ahead in the Desert
“It’s been a tough two years in the desert in terms of watching our team, the rebuild in place and taking bad contracts, and now it’s getting to the good stuff,” Bill Armstrong told NHL.com. “Listen, we’re going to have some challenges. We’re going to have some moments we’re not very good, but we’ve got [the] ability now to go to into the ring from the first day of training camp and have a good team and push to see how good we can become. That means trying to get to the [2024 NHL Trade Deadline] and being in the hunt, and that’s not an easy task for us as an organization.”
Armstrong and company are clearly pleased with how the rebuild has been progressing, and they’re finally looking to change the chapter. As he alluded to, there will be plenty of challenges this season; they’ll have growing pains with Cooley and the other young players on the team. Despite this, the 2023-24 season will look to be a big moving block in the process of eventually winning a Stanley Cup.
