The NHL Entry Draft is this Friday and Saturday, and once again the Arizona Coyotes are without a top pick.
You would think that by being one of the worst teams in the NHL over the last several years, that the Coyotes would be swimming in high end talent, but that isn't the case.
In the last seven years, the Coyotes have picked:
5th, 23th, 7th, 3rd, 12, 12, 27.
That is: Barrett Hayton, Pierre-Oliver Joseph, Clayton Keller, Dylan Strome, Brandon Perlini Max Domi, and Henrick Samuelson.
The last three are still here, and the other four were turned into Nick Schmaltz and Alex Galchenyuk.
It would be a pretty good core if there was one hyper-elite player like Eichel, Laine, Matthews, McDavid or Hughes leading the way, but there isn't.
What can you do? Just draft 14th (or make a trade) and hope you get lucky!
A lot of the NHL's best players were not picked high, so you never know when you can grab your very own Bergeron, Kopitar, Karlsson, Kucherov or O'Reilly.
Here is what the Coyotes have this year:
1st (14th overall)
2nd
3rd x 2
4th
6th x 2
7th
This will be John Chayka's 4th draft, and the third in a row where he has had more than the seven picks each team gets (he was hired before his first draft, I do believe).
So what the Coyotes might not get a top pick, but you have to like their focus on quantity here, since that can only improve the odds they land their very Kucherov.
If I have to make a prediction, I say they trade the 14th pick as they need help now.
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