Janis Moser was one of the Arizona Coyotes’ bigger surprises last season.
The 2022–23 season is fast approaching. Here at Five For Howling, we’re looking at this year’s 25 best Arizona Coyotes players under the age of 25.
The Arizona Coyotes have had some interesting drafts under General Manager Bill Armstrong. It’s too early to know who was a hit, but GMBA likes to get a lot of picks and draft the players who he wants to draft.
With three picks in the second round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, GM Armstrong was not afraid to draft older players. One of those players was Swiss defenseman, Janis Moser.
Janis Moser
2021–22 League: AHL, NHL
Regular Season Games Played: 18, 43
Regular Season Goals: 5, 4
Regular Season Assists: 7, 11
Highest Individual Ranking: 8
Lowest Individual Ranking: 9
Last Year’s Ranking: 15
Going into last season, Janis Moser was expected to spend most of the season in the AHL. He was 21 and a European player, so it seemed like it would be the perfect spot for the young defenseman to adjust to the North American game.
But things definitely did not go according to plan last season. The Coyotes were dealing with a rash of injuries early on, and on December 15th Janis Moser played in his first NHL game against the New York Rangers.
It didn’t take long for Moser to get on the board. In his third NHL game against the San Jose Sharks, Moser scored his first two NHL goals in a then-career-high 22 minutes and 15 seconds of ice time.
Moser had a swagger and confidence you don’t see from many NHL rookies. He was willing to go to the net if he thought he had the space and he helped contribute to the Coyotes’ limited offense.
After a successful season in the NHL, it is hard to imagine that Moser won’t make the team out of training camp. He is only 22 years old, so another stint in the AHL wouldn’t be shocking, but Moser definitely showed that he is a player to be taken seriously.
Unfortunately, despite the strong showing, it would be easy for the Coyotes to send Moser down. Of the nine players CapFriendly lists as defensemen for the Coyotes, Moser is the only one who would not need to clear waivers. The Coyotes have a cramped blue line, but if Moser does start the season in Tucson, don’t expect him to stay there for very long.