Trying to Predict Coyotes Prospects’ NHL Debuts and Why Dumba Has Regressed
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In today’s edition, we have trying to predict when Coyotes prospects will make their debuts, why Dumba has struggled early on, and Lamoureux taking a big step forward.
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Predicting Coyotes Prospects’ NHL Debuts
November 14, 2023 by Cooper Krigbaum
Throughout Bill Armstrong’s tenure as Arizona Coyotes general manager, if he’s taught us anything, it’s his desire to have as many prospects as possible. He’s also shown his willingness to trade up in certain scenarios to draft a particular player. Drafting players is one thing, but he also hasn’t been afraid to overbake prospects; Dylan Guenther being sent down to the American Hockey League (AHL) is a prime example of this. With that, some prospects may take longer to reach the NHL. Now that most leagues are in full swing, the Coyotes have a glut of prospects making waves, but when could we see them rock the Kachina?
Arguably, one of the most intriguing names on this list is Dmitri Simashev, the Coyotes’ 2023 sixth-overall selection. The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), where Simashev currently plays, is known for not being very conducive to the development of younger players. This makes sense, as most players are much older, barring a few prospects, just like Simashev. So, when is a reasonable estimate for the 6-foot-5 defenseman to play in the desert?
Coyotes’ Dumba Continuing Regression with Early Season Slump
November 14, 2023 by Haynes Evans
During the offseason, general manager Bill Armstrong and company signed free agent Matt Dumba to a one-year deal, with the hopes of revitalizing his career. Arizona Coyotes fans saw a 10-year veteran with a wealth of knowledge and a load of games under his belt. For Dumba, this was a chance to prove he could still contribute as a top four defenseman in this league and turn his career around, much like former Coyote defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere who found his game again in the desert in just a year and a half.
What started out as a solid showing in the team’s season-opening, four-game road trip has quickly turned sour. The former player the Coyotes had hoped for looks like a disaster instead. Just 14 games in, not even a quarter of the way through the season, and the Coyotes are scratching their heads.
Coyotes’ Maveric Lamoureux Making Waves in QMJHL
November 11, 2023 by Cooper Krigbaum
One specialty Arizona Coyotes general manager (GM) Bill Armstrong has looked for when drafting young prospects is size. Size is unteachable. It’s something people are born with. This has been something Armstrong hasn’t shied away from as GM. In fact, all 12 draft picks from 2023 were all at least 6-foot-0, which showcases his desire to assemble a bigger and stronger team. A player in particular who was drafted for his size is 6-foot-7 Maveric Lamoureux.
Lamoureux wasn’t on many teams’ cards for the first round. Many thought he would be taken in the second or third round. This included respected analyst Bob McKenzie, who ranked Lamoureux at 44 on his list. However, his height attracted the Coyotes staff enough to be taken 29th overall, the team’s third first-round selection in 2022. The 19-year-old missed nearly six months rehabbing a shoulder injury last season, and now, with the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) in full swing, he has shown why he deserved to go in the first round.