The Arizona Coyotes select another European forward.
After drafting two defensemen in a row, the Arizona Coyotes have selected back-to-back forwards, this time grabbing Finish player Miko Matikka 67th overall.
Matikka played for the Jokerit under 20 team and was over a point-per-game player with 19 goals and 14 assists in 30 games. He doesn’t have much international experience, you likely haven’t seen him play unless you are in Finland.
Miko Matikka is a bigger winger, coming in at 6’3″ and 187 pounds. But unlike a one-dimensional heavy player, Matikka has solid skating and stickhandling and can score goals.
Rather than stay in Europe or going to AHL, Matikka has committed to the University of Denver. The NCAA should give him plenty of time to develop and grow, and it will be interesting to see what kind of player he is after four seasons in college. Most scouting reports suggest that he needs to work on his hockey IQ, but thankfully he will be close by for the Coyotes’ front office to check in on his development.