Coyotes Have No Reason to Trade for Noah Hanifin & Maccelli Should’ve Been Calder Finalist
Welcome to the THW Arizona Coyotes Substack newsletter, with all the latest from our team of Coyotes writers.
In today’s edition, we have why the Coyotes have no reason to trade for Noah Hanifin, why Maccelli should’ve been a Calder finalist, Kolyachonok turning heads, and the possibility of Zadorov coming to Arizona.
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Coyotes Have No Reason to Trade for Noah Hanifin
November 17, 2023 by Cooper Krigbaum
After a promising Global Series in Melbourne, Australia, the next chapter of Arizona Coyotes hockey was on the horizon. From the offseason additions to Logan Cooley signing his entry-level contract, the sun was beaming in the desert. Now that the team is just over a month into the season, there has been a glut of ups and downs. One of the flaws many fans speculated would be an issue was the defense, and while that hasn’t killed them yet, it certainly isn’t up to par with some of their Central Division foes.
With the downward spiral of the Calgary Flames, Elliotte Friedman presented the idea on 32 thoughts that the Coyotes could be a team interested in defenseman Noah Hanifin. This is most interesting as the Coyotes would likely have to give up more than they’d be willing to, especially at this point in the season. With that said, they should steer clear of Hanifin, and there are numerous reasons why.
Coyotes’ Maccelli Should’ve Been a Calder Trophy Finalist
November 17, 2023 by Chase Beardsley
Last season, the hockey world was shocked as Arizona Coyotes forward Matias Maccelli didn’t end up as a finalist for the Calder Trophy, the award given to the best rookie of the season. Instead, Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner, Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power, and Seattle Kraken forward Matty Beniers were all Calder nominees. Beniers ended up winning the award in an anti-climatic ending. Now a good portion into the 2023-24 season, did he deserve to win the Calder? Let’s look into the careers thus far of the four players and see who has been the best player.
Last season: Skinner had played 14 games in the NHL before the season and recorded a 7-6-0 record. However, it wasn’t until 2022-23 that he surpassed the limit needed to qualify as a potential Calder nominee. He started 48 games, winning 29 of them. He took over the starting role for the Oilers after a disappointing beginning of the season from Jack Campbell. He had a .914 save percentage (SV%) with a 2.75 goals-against average (GAA), which was good enough for him to be invited to the All-Star Game.
Coyotes’ Kolyachonok on a Fast Rise to The NHL
November 17, 2023 by Richard Jelinek
Arizona Coyotes prospect Vladislav Kolyachonok is turning heads in the organization and is a player who may be on the main roster as early as this season. His skill set is something that other rookie defensemen in the pipeline do not have, which puts him at the top of the list.
The 6-foot-1 and 203-pound defenseman began his hockey career in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the London Knights. He would play a single game with the Knights before getting claimed on waivers by the Flint Firebirds on Oct. 2, 2018. Kolyachonok finished a strong season with four goals and 29 assists for 33 points in 53 games. He scored his first OHL goal as part of a four-point night as Flint defeated the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 6-4 on Jan. 5, 2019.
Coyotes Should Pursue Trade For Flames’ Zadorov
November 15, 2023 by Richard Jelinek
There is a massive player reportedly on the market that could provide some size and muscle to the Arizona Coyotes’ defense. Calgary Flames defenseman Nikita Zadorov may be on the trade block; he is 6-foot-6 and 248 pounds of nasty. The Coyotes lack toughness on the back end, so could this be a win for both teams?
Zadorov was then selected by the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) club CSKA Moscow fourth overall in the 2012 KHL Junior Draft. He had finished up a stellar 2008 International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament and impressed enough to be selected in the upper tier.