Unlike other camps for the Arizona Coyotes, the five-day development camp offers a relaxed setting and the real value in seeing where potential franchise players are at.
Unlike the scouts who routinely check in on prospects, this camp offers a better look at how the players in the Coyotes pipeline are developing before they all leave for their other teams across several leagues.
Nearly 50 players participated at Ice Den Scottsdale, including nine selections from this year’s draft and all three first-rounders from last year’s draft.
“You’re here to get better and not to make a team yet. It’s something you got to look forward to in helping the other guys and making sure they’re comfortable,” 2021 second-round pick Josh Doan said.
Here is what stood out in development camp.
Logan Cooley is the real deal
The third overall pick in last year’s draft continued to be a big draw for this year’s development camp and his big freshman season at Minnesota solidified his growing star status.
At 5’10”, Cooley represents a rarity on the Coyotes as a smaller forward surrounded by bigger, taller players, but his play speaks for itself.
During the team’s scrimmage, his skating was crisp and his passing was sharp. His play away from the puck also stood out as he made smart decisions.
“Sometimes you go to camp and you get a little bit,” general manager Bill Armstrong said. “The next year, you come back and you look at it a different way and it starts to soak in a little bit more. That takes time and it’s the maturity of a player and it takes a long time to come through. It doesn’t happen overnight.”
It’s very likely that he’ll spend another season in the NCAA, but like many NHL players who spent two years in college, he’ll come out an even more well-rounded player. He’ll also work on adding size to get himself ready for the incoming grind of the NHL.
While many at camp have yet to experience NHL action, Guenther was the elder statesman. The 2021 ninth overall pick played in 33 games and tallied 15 points for the Coyotes last season.
His hockey resumé from last season alone saw him in high-pressure situations from winning gold at the World Junior Championship to playing in the Memorial Cup final for the Canadian Hockey League.
Although it seemed he never stopped playing hockey, Guenther received a break during the camp and didn’t participate in the scrimmage and was instead there for a different reason.
“He will be a leader on our team, and he will be the leader of those guys, so it’s important for us to have Dylan here because he will be the leader of our young generation,” head coach André Tourigny said. “We believe in his leadership capacity, we believe he already has our DNA, so we want him to be an example for the other guys.”
Defense needs growth
There are so many exciting forward prospects that jump out when looking at the Coyotes pipeline. Aside from Cooley and Guenther, names like Doan, Conor Geekie, Jonathan Castagna, and Mikko Matikka offer promise.
But when it comes to defensemen, it’s going to take some time.
The Coyotes weren’t able to have both of this year’s first round picks, Dmitri Simashev and Daniil But, due to contractual obligations with their club in Russia.
On the upside, last year’s first rounder Maveric Lamoureux was able to participate in his first camp after having shoulder surgery last year. Lamoureux is still working to fully recover, but fits the mold the Coyotes are after with his 6’7” frame.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Logan Cooley stands out, other takeaways from Coyotes prospect camp
