Bill Armstrong may not have as many picks as he did yesterday morning, but he still has a lot to do today.
Last night sure was an exciting time for the Arizona Coyotes. First, they drafted their guy third overall in Logan Cooley, and Bill Armstrong spent some time wheeling and dealing to move up twice to select Conor Geekie and Maveric Lamoureux while also bringing in Zack Kassian.
Despite drafting a smaller player in Cooley, the Coyotes’ prospect pool is a lot bigger after the first round. Geekie is a 6’4” two-way center, while Lamoureux comes in at 6’7”! General Manager Bill Armstrong has shown that while he likes a heavier team, he isn’t afraid to have a smaller, high-skill player like Cooley or Clayton Keller around to score goals.
But there is still more drafting as we prepare for rounds 2 through 7. Arizona still has picks 36, 43, 67, 131, and 163 left, so they have plenty of opportunities to get more done. Picks 36 and 43 are in the second round, but if the Coyotes want to be successful in the future, they need to start finding success in the later rounds.
While Bill Armstrong will likely continue to wheel and deal, do not expect Jakob Chychrun to be part of any deal. PHNX’s Craig Morgan reports that the Coyotes do not intend to trade Chychrun, which makes sense given that we have exited the first round.
Bill Armstrong was reportedly looking for a first-round pick, a prospect, and a player for Chychrun, so it makes sense that he is off the block now. Chychrun is still young, and if he can stay healthy and find his footing next season, he should be a significant part of a rebuilding Coyotes. But if he can’t take the next step, the team will likely be looking to ship him out next season to a competitor at the trade deadline.
The final rounds will start today at 8 am Arizona time and will be available to watch at NHLN, ESPN+, SN, and TVAS.