The Arizona Coyotes wrapped up the 2023 NHL Draft a week ago, and they’ve added plenty of talent to their prospect pool. Thanks to general manager (GM) Bill Armstrong, they have accumulated tons of draft capital for the near future, including five first-round picks in the past two drafts. With that being said, here are the top ten prospects in the Coyotes’ system as of today.
10. Samuel Lipkin
Drafted in the seventh round, 223rd overall, the Coyotes may have a steal in Samuel Lipkin. During this past season, the Philadelphia native registered 14 goals and 43 points in 39 games. For what was his first year playing in the NCAA with Quinnipiac University, he exceeded everyone’s expectations, especially for a seventh-round pick.
Last season, Lipkin led all freshmen in points with Quinnipiac as well as helping them beat Minnesota in the National Championship. Given another one or two strong seasons with the Bobcats, he could see himself playing in the NHL. Nonetheless, the chances of a seventh-round pick making the NHL roster are low, let alone making an impact; Lipkin will have his chance to prove people wrong sooner rather than later.
9. Josh Doan
Coming in at number nine is Josh Doan. He was taken in the second round of the 2021 NHL Draft and has been a popular prospect ever since. The son of former Coyotes legend Shane Doan, he has quickly risen up the depth chart after a step of growth this past season. He split his time in 2022-23 with Arizona State University and the Tuscon Roadrunners. With the Sun Devils, he notched 16 goals and 38 points in 39 games.
Doan then made the jump to the American Hockey League (AHL), where he played 14 games tallying six points. The Scottsdale native still has plenty of work to do down in the AHL before he can make the jump to the NHL, but there is much excitement in Doan. He’ll look to create his own path with the Coyotes, just like his father did.
8. Michael Hrabal
Next up at number eight is goaltender Michael Hrabal. The Coyotes recently drafted him 38th overall in the second round of the 2023 NHL Draft. The Coyotes have lacked young netminders; they have Ivan Prosvetov, but he hasn’t panned out entirely as they hoped. Hrabal played for the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League (USHL), posting a .908 save percentage (SV%) and a 2.86 goals-against average (GAA).
It’s still early in Hrabal’s career, but he has the potential to become the team’s long-term starter. The Czechia native also impressed many with his U18 World Championship performance, where he put up a .920 SV% and a 3.11 GAA. He should find himself quickly moving up in these rankings as he looks to be the goaltender of the future for the Coyotes.
7. Arytom Duda
Next up at number seven is the first defenseman on this list, Arytom Duda. He heard his name called during the 2022 NHL Draft, being taken 36th overall. The Moskva, Russia native spent this past season primarily in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) and MHL (Russia’s top junior league). He saw most of his success in the MHL, where he recorded five goals and 13 points in 14 games.
With the recent news of his enrollment at the University of Maine, he’ll be taking his talents to the Black Bears. This is huge for the Coyotes, as they’ll have an easier time watching him develop in North America rather than overseas in Russia. Duda has shown he’s a promising prospect and will hope to contribute to the Coyotes sooner rather than later.
6. Maveric Lamoureux
One of many first-round picks on this list, coming in at six is defenseman Maveric Lamoureux. He was taken 27th overall in the 2022 NHL Draft by the Coyotes. He stands at a towering 6-foot-7, which is a nod to Armstrong’s desire to be a bigger team. During the 2022-23 season, he registered five goals and 19 points in 35 games, and added two goals and six points in nine playoff games with the Drummondville Voltigeurs.
It will be a while before Lamoreaux makes the leap to the NHL, but he will have plenty of time to develop his game in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) with the Voltigeurs. The Ontario, Canada native is seen as more of a project as he still has lots of work to do until he can cement himself on the Coyotes roster.
5. Conor Geekie
Heading back to the 2022 NHL Draft, coming in at number five, drafted 11th overall, is Conor Geekie. He played for the Winnipeg ICE in the Western Hockey League (WHL) this past season, recording 35 goals and 77 points in 66 games. The Manitoba, Canada native is seen as one of the top talents in the Coyotes prospect pool, and it’s no secret why. He has a great frame standing at 6-foot-4 and has an edge to his game.
While Geekie still has to round out several aspects of his game, including skating and maturing into his size, he will likely be a big part of the Coyotes’ success in the future. He is a dark horse to potentially make their 2023-24 roster, but he is expected to be sent back down to the WHL for more development. If all goes well, he’s a name to watch out for in the 2024-25 season, where he could be ready for the NHL.
4. Daniil But
Coming in at number four is forward Daniil But. He is arguably the most interesting prospect out of all of these players, as his ceiling could be the highest. During this past season, he split his time between the KHL and MHL, although he saw much more success in the MHL. In the MHL, he had 15 goals and 26 points in 26 points, and in the KHL, he had two goals in 15 games.
When drafting players, Armstrong tends to take the player with height; But’s no different as he stands in at 6-foot-5. While it’s a huge advantage to be that tall, it comes with some drawbacks. For But, it’s his skating that could use some refinements. Although, with his contract in Russia lasting for two more seasons, he’ll have plenty of time to round out his game before coming over to the Coyotes.
3. Dmitri Simashev
Another pick in the 2023 NHL Draft is Dmitri Simashev at number three. When the Coyotes announced the pick of Simashev at sixth overall during the draft, it was a shocker, but he has a chance to be a franchise player. Playing in the KHL this past season, he didn’t see much success having zero points in 18 games. However, he was more of an offensive presence in the MHL, where he recorded one goal and ten points in 29 games.
Related: Sky Is the Limit for Coyotes Dmitri Simashev
The pick isn’t the prettiest like Geekie, or But for that matter, but Simashev can develop into a top-four defenseman for the Coyotes. Similar to But, he has a contract with the KHL that will prevent him from playing in North America anytime soon. Despite the contract, Simashev coming up in the next couple of years shows how bright the future is in Arizona.
2. Dylan Guenther
The only prospect with NHL experience, at number two, is Dylan Guenther. He played all over the place this past season. He played 33 games with the Coyotes, notching six goals and 15 points, and was later sent down to the WHL, where he played with the Seattle Thunderbirds, still seeing plenty of success. He had 13 goals and 29 points in 20 games during the regular season while adding another 28 points in the postseason.
Guenther also dominated during the World Junior Championship, with seven goals and 10 points in seven games. He also had the golden goal, which gave Canada its 20th gold medal. The Edmonton, Canada native will look to make the Coyotes’ roster this upcoming season once again, instead, this time finding a permanent role on the team. After the signings of Jason Zucker and Alex Kerfoot, it shouldn’t be hard for the 20-year-old to put his talent on the stat sheet.
1. Logan Cooley
It’s without question that the former 2022 third-overall selection is the Coyotes’ top prospect. After passing on what was the consensus first-overall pick in Shane Wright (who went fourth-overall to the Seattle Kraken), Logan Cooley has proved many people wrong. He dominated with the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP) and carried that to the University of Minnesota. During this past season with the Gophers, he registered 22 goals and 60 points in 39 games, which was second among freshmen.
Similar to Guenther, Cooley saw a lot of success during the World Junior Championship, where he recorded seven goals and 14 points in seven games. That was the most points in the tournament, only behind Chicago Blackhawks’ 2023 first-overall pick, Connor Bedard. The Coyotes have a bright future and adding Cooley to the mix makes things much more exciting.
Coyotes Have Bright Future Ahead of Them
The Coyotes have plenty of other intriguing prospects to keep an eye on such as Ilya Fedotov, Maksymilian Szuber, Jeremy Langlois, Miko Matikka, and Tanner Ludtke who all could be a big part of the team down the road. With the recent acquisition of Sean Durzi and the signings of Nick Bjugstad and Troy Stecher, the Coyotes look to flip the script, becoming more competitive in 2023-24.
