On Oct. 28, 2024, the Utah Hockey Club announced that forward Josh Doan was assigned to the Tucson Roadrunners (Utah’s American Hockey League affiliate). Two days before Doan was sent down (Oct. 26), forward Kailer Yamamoto cleared waivers and also joined the Roadrunners. With the return of forward Nick Bjugstad, Utah thought sent the 22-year-old Doan to Tucson in hopes of him receiving more minutes and developing his game. So, it’s time to review the importance of sending down a young piece to the franchise’s core.
Utah’s Crowded Forward Core
It’s no secret that Utah’s head coach, André Tourigny, has more quality skaters at his disposal than in previous seasons. Furthermore, he has opted to dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen in the past two games, which removes another forward from the lineup. That being said, Utah forwards Liam O’Brien and Michael Carcone have been healthy scratches throughout its inaugural season.
As for Doan, in nine games, he mustered two points in a primarily third-line role. To start the season, the Arizona native logged a 13:05 average time on ice per game and was a minus-1 with six penalty minutes. While his early-season campaign at the NHL level hasn’t been impressive, Tourigny could have been expecting more from him after he tallied nine points in 11 games with the Arizona Coyotes last season.
Related: How the Coyotes Turned Derek Stepan Into Josh Doan
Currently dressing 11 forwards, the team’s bottom five consist of Alexander Kerfoot, Lawson Crouse, Jack McBain, Kevin Stenlund, and Bjugstad. Doan is the youngest skater of the five and should play top-line minutes in the AHL instead of playing bottom-six minutes at the NHL level. Why? The Coyotes’ second-round selection in 2021 has yet to play a full season for the Roadrunners.
“You could see he didn’t have the same confidence that he did during training camp,” Tourigny said following the decision to have Doan back in Tucson. “It was the opportunity for us to give him the chance to go play in the AHL, get his confidence back, his game back, his swagger back.”
Doan Is the Roadrunners’ Star Player
With the emergence of defenseman Maveric Lamoureux, the 6-foot-1, 183-pounder has filled Lamoureux’s role as the team’s star player, potting two goals in his first two games in Tucson. At the moment, Tucson forward Egor Sokolov leads the Roadrunners in points with eight through 10 games.
In 62 games in Tucson last season, the right-handed shooter scored 26 goals and added 20 assists for 46 points while also leading the Roadrunners in total and power-play goals. His team-leading 46 points named him to the 2024 AHL All-Star Classic.
If Doan can replicate his 2023-24 campaign at the AHL level (so far, he’s off to a solid start), he should be back in the NHL this season. Furthermore, if injuries or trades were to occur, this could open up more opportunities for him to play in Utah again this season.
Doan Still Has Room to Grow
Many people in the valley have appreciated Doan’s path to the NHL: He became the first Arizona-born, raised, and trained player to dress for the Coyotes in their season in the desert. However, it was going to be difficult to translate his early-career success after the team relocated to Utah. Having to play in a new city and arena is no easy task for any player, especially for a 22-year-old trying to solidify himself as an everyday NHLer.
After all, Doan is one of Utah’s youngest players, only older than Dylan Guenther, Logan Cooley, and Lamoureux (who were all first-round picks.) It even took forward Clayton Keller five years to top his rookie season’s 65 points that netted him a third-place finish in the Calder Memorial Trophy race. Every hockey player experiences different lengths and stages of development. There should be no immediate pressure on him to get back to the NHL level with a crowded forward group.
O’Brien and Carcone Have More NHL Experience
Carcone followed a similar path to the NHL as Doan. The 5-foot-9, 170-pounder led the AHL in scoring with 85 points during the 2022-23 season. A successful campaign with the Roadrunners earned him 74 games at the NHL level the next season with the Coyotes. Last season, the 28-year-old potted 21 goals and put ip 29 points. Unfortunately for the undrafted player, with no room in Utah’s top nine, he has only played in three games and has failed to register a point this season. Overall, he played more than 100 games in Arizona and has strong goal-scoring capabilities when given top-six and power-play minutes.
On the other hand, O’Brien serves as the team’s physical presence when needed. The 30-year-old racked up 153 penalty minutes last season (the most in the NHL). The 6-foot-1, 213-pounder dished out 229 hits last season and provided a spark when needed. Similarly to Carcone, he has dressed in three games for Utah this season and has no points.
Will Doan be back up in Utah this season? He could, if he continues to build off his hot start in Tucson. For now, Tucson’s coaching staff must put him in the best position to grow in the AHL.
