Arizona Coyotes are No. 9 in 2024 NHL prospect pool rankings

Welcome to Scott Wheeler’s 2024 rankings of every NHL organization’s prospects. You can find the complete ranking and more information on the criteria here, as we count down daily from No. 32 to No. 1. The series, which includes in-depth evaluations and insight from sources on nearly 500 prospects, runs from Jan. 30 to Feb. 29.

Despite having graduated Logan Cooley, a 12-pick 2023 draft class led by two unique and complicated first-rounders helps keep the Arizona Coyotes’ pool as one of the better groups in the league. They’ve got three, debatably four legitimate forward prospects, two and debatably three or four legitimate defense prospects, and one of the higher upside goalie prospects in the sport, plus potential depth players throughout.

With their own first-rounder and three or more seconds in each of the next three drafts, they’re well-positioned to keep the pool in a position of strength as well.

2023 prospect pool rank: No. 9 (change: none)

Guenther is a beautiful skating winger who slices through holes and dashes past flat-footed defenders to create looks and advantages. He’s a flowing player who excels in transition, crossing over to build speed, attacking on angles across the line and breezing through neutral ice in possession to make plays off the rush. And while he uses a pretty high grip on his stick, his quick hands flash side to side, he catches pucks into a shooting stance out of cuts with a silky touch, and his shot is threatening from midrange because of its accuracy, variety (the curl-and-drag, the direct wrister and the one-timer) and power (which has increased enough to be a weapon from long range fairly consistently now).

He has also gotten stronger, adding to his multifaceted offensive package off the flank. Inside the offensive zone, his ability to handle the puck in traffic, play pucks into space and shape and hide his shot all impress. So he’s not only capable of transporting the puck and leading the rush, but he also has the offensive acumen to make things happen once the play slows down inside the offensive zone. Add in good control of his inside and outside edges and the ability to shoot from multiple stances and there’s a lot to like about his upside as a second-line winger. There are times when I’d like to see him drive play more at five-on-five than he does, but that will hopefully come with reps, confidence and maturity. I’ve liked what I’ve seen of his play since his promotion back to the NHL in early January.

Every team wants long defensemen who can really skate and Simashev checks both of those boxes. He’s a rangy, smooth-skating defenseman who played 18 KHL games last year, was great in the MHL playoffs, and played full time in the KHL this year to good results for a defenseman his age, averaging just under 15 minutes a night but regularly playing 16-plus late in the year.

It’s hard not to like the way he can play in transition, whether defending the rush with his feet and reach, skating back to retrieve pucks, and skating through neutral ice/out of the defensive zone in possession. He has shown improved comfort and smarts in control, even if his play with the puck and offensive game are never going to be his calling card. He gaps well and can take away a carrier’s space. I’m still not as high on him as some others are and didn’t feel he was a No. 6 pick but he’s got most of the more important makings of a potential top-four defenseman who can play minutes and drive results with his defensive play.

After playing on Russia’s Hlinka Gretzky team three summers ago, But played to a point-per-game level in the MHL as one of its top 2005s two seasons ago and then began his draft year last season on a tear in the MHL, scoring 11 goals in his first 15 games of the season before earning a mid-October promotion to the KHL for the first time (he then scored his first two pro goals and bounced between the KHL and MHL). This season, playing primarily in KHL, But broke 10 goals and 20 points despite playing very limited minutes (under 10 minutes a night and often just a few shifts).

Scouts are drawn to him because of his size-skill combo as a 6-foot-5 winger with natural skill/scoring touch and a committed 200-foot game, and while he can look a little uncoordinated out there at times, he skates well for his size, his hands are nimble for his size, the draw is real and there are some definite tools there.

He’s excellent on the wall in puck protection and also has some outside-in skill so that he can attack off of holds into the middle third. He’s got impressive shooting mechanics given how long his stick is, and he regularly pulls pucks into his feet to change his angle face-up against goalies. I love the way he shields pucks and waits for his opportunities to attack. While he’s got some work to do to get a little quicker from the jump in the game’s 10-foot races, he does have some power and balance through his stride to build upon and skates pretty well for his size and age. It’s hard to be a true top-of-the-lineup forward at his size, though, and I think he projects more as a complementary scorer who gives a lineup a bit of a different look. There’s a lot to work with, though, and he’s a legitimate prospect even if, like with Simashev, I felt he was picked a little too high at No. 12. I debated ranking him ahead of Simashev here.

Geekie is a big center (6-foot-4, about 200 pounds) with clear skill as a handler, passer and shooter, and a boldness to his game that I admire and you don’t often see in players his size. He’s got impressive hands and body control for his size, which helps him control pucks inside the offensive zone and make plays while also getting the upper hand in board battles.

He plays through bumps (and will be able to play through more once he fills out) and thrives taking pucks from the cycle to dangerous areas, pushing through the guts of the ice in control, or even drifting to the perimeter in control to facilitate. He also skates well enough for his size for me (it’s probably a little below average, and he looked like he lacked pace on the bigger sheet at the world juniors for example, but I wouldn’t call him slow/it a major impediment) and I think he moves better than his big brother Morgan (now with the Bruins) did at the same age, and creates his fair share in transition as a result.

I do find he forces things too much by trying to go one-on-one and create something that’s not there, and there’s a hunch to his stride that will need straightening out. He’s got some work to do in the faceoff circle, too. But it’s hard to deny the impressive size-hands combination he has considering his length. He’s got a real ability to hang onto the puck, draw players into him, and then play-make through or around them. He processes the game offensively quickly, knowing where he wants to go with the puck early and constantly pre-surveying so that he always knows where his options are with the puck.

He makes an unusual amount of soft little plays for a player his size and can attack into coverage because of his hands. He’s really quite comfortable in control of the puck. He’s also got a hard wrister. Geekie’s a legitimate prospect with a desirable set of skills. As he continues to work on his pace/skating, he’s got the touch and skill to become a pretty unique player. Modest production and some kinks do mean he’s not a sure thing, but there’s a lot to work with there and I expect he’ll make it as a middle-six forward (TBD on center or wing) who offers a length-skill combo to a line. Between Wenatchee and Swift Current, he has been one of the best — and most productive — players in the WHL this season.

Scouts have long been fascinated by Lamoureux’s towering 6-foot-7 frame and smooth skating. When you watch him in isolation in a practice setting, it’s easy to see why. He’s got a short, compact stride for how big he is, he moves well, his shot explodes off his stick from the point, and he’s got a good first touch. His processing, reads and decision-making have all come a long way to cut down on mistakes and penalties and improve his game management with the puck (as well as his choices on when to use his physicality, which has resulted in some discipline at times). His play with the puck has developed more poise and assuredness. He has added some muscle to his athletic frame. He plays at a quicker pace now, making his decisions quickly.

As he continues to tweak and figure things out, there’s real promise that he could become a pretty unique top-six defenseman (if he and Simashev both hit, the Coyotes’ blue line of the future will have a distinguished look with all of that length/mobility). He’s an absolute force against his peers in the QMJHL (I thought he really rose to the challenge on a disappointing Team Canada when he was asked to play a first-pairing role in Tristan Luneau’s absence, too) at this point, dominating play all over the ice. There are still areas where his game can continue to grow, too.

He has dealt with some injuries that have cost him valuable development time (including shoulder surgery) but the upside is legitimate.

Keep an eye out for a feature I’ve been working on on him, too!

Early on last season, when Hrabal arrived from Czechia’s junior league and took the USHL by storm, putting up gaudy numbers through September and into early November, there was first-round buzz about him. Here was this massive goalie with an impressive track record. Then he hit a rough rut into the new year and lost his job for a spell, only to regain form in March and April, both down the stretch with the Lancers and then as one of the top three players on Czechia at U18 worlds, where I thought he was mostly excellent. This season, as a freshman at UMass, he has also been mostly excellent (especially of late), although his world juniors was more of a mixed bag (he was great in Czechia’s upset win over Canada but also had some really rough moments, giving up a number of bad goals).

The size jumps out at you right away, but there are layers, good and bad, to the rest of his game. Hrabal gets down into his butterfly a little slowly, opening up his five-hole for shooters (a common problem for bigger goalies). Once he’s on his knees he actually scrambles well for a goalie as tall as he is. His hands (both glove and blocker) need some obvious work up high and he has an odd tendency to try to catch low shots instead of making a pad save; I suspect it’s because he doesn’t trust his rebound control on quick shots. I’ve seen him look completely in command, fill the net and take everything away from shooters, and I’ve also seen him get beat cleanly and look like he’s not tracking pucks. I would like to see him work on playing the puck as well. The upside is hard to ignore, though. There will also be more strength that’s going to come to fill out his still-wiry 6-foot-7 frame (even at 215 pounds, he looks skinny), and he moves well for his size and can really take away a shooter’s options when his angles are dialled in. Patience will be key, even when his results look good in college.

After undergoing a huge growth spurt in the USHL with the Chicago Steel in advance of his second-round selection as an overager in 2021, Doan, who is now 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, really developed and built a workable, translatable game as a freshman and sophomore at Arizona State, scoring at a point per game across his two seasons in college before turning pro (and serving as the Sun Devils captain in the last of those two seasons). This season, his first full one at the pro level, Doan leads the Roadrunners in goals and points now that Guenther has moved up to the NHL level.

He plays hard, gets to the guts of the ice, works on the forecheck, never strays from his defensive responsibilities, plays a committed game all over the ice, plays a direct and intentional game offensively, always seems to be in good position, has better feel inside the offensive zone than I gave him credit for in Chicago, and has come a long, long way in the last few years. He’s got useful bottom-six forward and secondary scorer written all over him at this point.

The clock is now ticking on Söderström, who turns 23 in a few days, is only narrowly still eligible for inclusion here, and has progressed slowly from top Swedish prospect and top young SHL defenseman to more than a call-up NHLer. I still think he will become a top-six defenseman, but there was a time when some scouts thought he might become a second-pairing guy and he has just really had a tough time establishing his game/identity at the NHL level.

Söderström’s strength is his four-way mobility. He does a good job using his edges to cross over or cut laterally, he’s a beautiful backward skater and he’s able to escape pressure with shoulder fakes and a smooth forward skating motion. His skating also helps him effectively manage the offensive zone blue line, creating lanes for his passes and shots. I like his ability to make the slow play with poise or the quick play when it’s there. There are times, however, when I’d like him to play a little tighter defensively instead of giving so much (he can take away a lot of time and space when he plays to take instead of give), he has not proven dynamic enough offensively after showing some real signs of offense early on in his career, and his defensive play is fine but not as strong as it should be considering his skating. Söderström’s a modern 6-foot, 190-to-200-pound defenseman who can manage play at five-on-five and could run a second power-play unit. It’s on him to grab it and prove he can be more than just a guy/call-up option, though. There has been lots of talk of late about his player type and the struggles that some young defensemen taken in the first round with average size have had making the jump (see Ville Heinola in Winnipeg as another example). He’s in the final year of his entry-level contract so they’ve got to make at least a little bit of a decision on him this summer.

One of the top 2004-born Russian prospects, Duda was a dominant two-way defenseman against his peers at home, didn’t look out of place in spot use in the KHL, made the decision to come to North America instead of climbing up the depth chart in the KHL, couldn’t get NCAA approval due primarily to his pro experience, and is now taking one of the most unique paths a top prospect has taken in recent memory by playing USports hockey in Canada. It’s a better level than people realize in that it’s filled with guys in their mid-20s who were top CHL players, including some who played a bit of pro in the AHL and ECHL, some who were NHL draft picks and many who were rookie camp invites. By all accounts, he has handled it well, too, playing an important role for the Bold as their youngest and looking the part of his cachet.

Duda’s got a little bit of everything in his game. He’s got the frame (6 feet 1, 187 pounds). He likes to carry and shoot the puck and does both well. He can activate off the line to create his own looks or get open into the high slot. He can comfortably lead rushes. He can run a power play. He can create exits and entries with his feet. He’s also got strong posture and core control, and an impressive stick defensively. Though he can be a little passive defensively and doesn’t defend particularly hard man-to-man, we can confuse that as needing correcting when, at least in his case, it’s actually quite effective at keeping play to the outside and staying out of the box (I think he’s competitive, too). I’m a fan. He’s a very good young player who has a chance at becoming an NHLer.

Lipkin followed a late-blooming but steep trajectory to go from second-last pick in the 2021 draft to Chicago Steel captain, the USHL’s fourth-leading goal scorer in his post-draft season, a bronze medalist with USA’s world junior team, and a point-per-game freshman and sophomore as one of Quinnipiac’s leading scorers right away.

He’s a pro-sized (6-foot-1, 192 pounds) forward with a well-rounded 200-foot game that includes a commitment to the details and good enough overall skill to potentially project as a bottom-six player who can penalty kill and give you a consistent, honest game. He’s competitive and detailed, and while his skill level isn’t dynamic he finds ways to get his looks and his shot comes off quickly and with some zip. He can also play both center and the wing and is decent in the faceoff circle, which gives him some positional versatility. He should be a good mid-tier pro at minimum.

One of the biggest risers in last year’s draft class, Ludtke is a late 2004 who registered just one goal and one assist in 27 USHL games two years ago before emerging to score 37 goals and 73 points in 66 games for Lincoln last season. This year, as a freshman at Nebraska-Omaha, he’s the Mavericks’ second-leading scorer as a freshman and has played a big role for them ever since an early season move from center to the wing.

Known for his pro style and dogged work ethic, Ludtke is a left-shot forward who plays a relentless, high-energy game that gets the most out of his above-average but not high-end skill set. He’s got work to do on his skating (which is average and he’ll need to be a little more than that to make his game work at the pro level), and he’ll be a three- or four-year college player, but with the right development, he projects as a potential bottom-six player.

His skating has shown some more jump to complement his hustle this year, too, which is positive:

https://cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2024/02/16104908/tanner_ludtke_-_1st_period_19_56_-_20_22.mp4

A top-nine player for Sweden throughout its international schedule last season at the U18 level, Nordh, who scored his first SHL goal and played 10 games at Sweden’s top flight in his draft year last season, has been a regular in the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan this year and a top player whenever he has played back with his age group at the J20 level. He’s expected to play for Sweden at the 2025 world juniors in Ottawa as well.

Nordh is a well-rounded winger with pro size (6-foot-2, about 200 pounds), good dexterity and reflexes around the net, and a willingness to go to the dirty areas and use his size. His game can lack creativity but he plays a direct style effectively. And while his first couple of strides can stomp a little, he’s a strong skater once he’s in flight, with a quick release and the average skill needed to contribute and make the odd play. He projects as a depth player at the next level if all goes well (I do think his game will work better in North America if/when he gets signed and gives the AHL climb a real go).

A back injury cost Lutz most of his draft year, kept him from training for much of his layoff and has resulted in a slower-than-hoped-for development since. His move from the DEL to the USHL made some sense so that he could play with his peers and develop his confidence again. In Green Bay, he has been one of the league’s most productive players on a points-per-game basis, finding the scoresheet in almost every game he has played.

Lutz is athletic, and his pro frame and build match a game that looks like it should project to the pro game. He has impressed across U18 and U20 competitions on some weak German teams to look like he can hang with the top players of opposing teams. There’s a lot to like about his makeup. He’s a very smooth, balanced skater through his outside edges, leaning through a linear line over his blades to twist, turn, maneuver and weave his way up ice or attack/slash on angles to the middle. He plays the game with some energy and a middle-lane drive, keeps his feet moving and involves himself in plays. He’s got a pro shot through his wrister (which he can get off in motion going downhill) and one-timer. He can make plays on stops and starts below the goal line and sees the ice fairly well. When he’s on, he’ll execute multiple positive touches over the course of a shift and move around the ice with some polish. His rush game is better than his small-area game/creativity but with his athletic tools, there’s a chance he could become a complementary winger or good AHL depth. Now it’s just about staying healthy and building confidence through repetition and practice.

St. Andrew’s College, or SAC, has become a bit of a non-traditional draft factory, now regularly producing one to two prospects who garner NHL interest without playing major junior or even Jr. A. One of the final cuts for my 2023 draft board, Castagna is one of the latest examples (towering center Dean Letourneau will follow him and get picked out of SAC this year as well) and has stepped right in at the NCAA and looked like he more than belongs, which is a big jump. Most prep school players take a pitstop for a year in the USHL or BCHL but Castagna’s athletic tools have allowed him to bypass that and jump directly into good production at Cornell as an 18-year-old freshman.

He’s a tremendous athlete, the kind of player who excels in on-and-off-ice testing and does it in a 6-foot-1 pro frame. His game is defined by his skating (acceleration and top gear), his versatility and his drive. I’ve seen him consistently play to the middle of the ice in my viewings. And while he’s not a natural finisher, there’s a belief that he’s very early in his development on the ice even if he’s ahead of the curve off of it. There were some who weren’t surprised when the Coyotes took him in the third round and teams that had him circled for a round or two later on their lists. By all accounts, he was a special kid at SAC, where he excelled in the classroom, on the lacrosse field and also in theatre according to his coach, too. He’s worth monitoring.

Thelin has been a positive story for the Coyotes this season, performing well across levels (J20, Sweden’s third-tier HockeyEttan and HockeyAllsvenskan) and making and even getting into game action for the national team at the world juniors, where he was the only of the three Swedish goalies with eligibility to return and play for the team at the 2025 tournament in Ottawa (where he’s probably now the front-runner for the starting job).

He’s an average-sized goalie (6-foot-2 and lean) with great feet and quickness which he relies on to stick with shooters one-on-one, bounce in and out of recoveries and move post-to-post and low-to-high to get to pucks and make difficult saves. He can be a little busy in the net at times, occasionally losing his net, but that’s not uncommon for a lighter, smaller(ish) goalie and he plays with enough control that he can hold his outside edges firmly enough so that it’s not as though he’s swimming. He’s intriguing.

As always, each of my prospect pool rankings is broken down into team-specific tiers in order to give you a better sense of the talent proximity from one player to the next (a gap that is sometimes minute and in other cases quite pronounced).

The Coyotes’ pool breaks down into four tiers for me. They are: 1-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-15+.

Also considered were Tucson defenseman Maksymilian Szuber (the final cut), Belarusian forward Vadim Moroz (who has had a good year in the KHL), Denver freshman Miko Matikka, Tuscon forwards Aku Räty and Ben McCartney (who are both good organizational depth even if they might not project as more than that), 20-year-old Rouyn-Noranda defenseman Jérémy Langlois, Victoria Royals defenseman Justin Kipkie and Russian forward Ilya Fedotov.

(Photo of Dylan Guenther: Christian Petersen / Getty Images)