Player Grades 2017: Jordan Martinook is a fan favorite for a reason

For the second year in a row, Jordan Martinook has managed to surprise Coyotes fans. In his first season at the NHL level, he was the dark horse candidate that ended up playing his way onto the team. This season it was Martinook’s versatility that was on display. Originally expected to play on the wing, the 24-year-old spent much of this season playing as a center and on every single line. With a team comprised of so many rookies, injuries to Brad Richardson, Max Domi, and Martin Hanzal left Martinook filling in everywhere he was needed.

Most unexpectedly after Richardson’s season-ending injury, there were several games where Martinook had worked his way up to centering the top lines. Despite the situation not being ideal, he managed to not be completely out of his depth, which bodes well for a player that typically plays on the third line.

He reprised his role as one of the best penalty killers for the team, often being paired with Tobias Rieder on the top unit. Anyone who has actually attended a game can tell you that a buzz of anticipation runs through the crowd any time those two get near the puck while on the PK. Although he only tallied one shorthanded goal this season, it is somewhat sweetened by the fact that it was against the Los Angeles Kings.

There are only two areas of his game where Martinook really needs to improve. He should work on faceoffs so he can continue to be an option in the circle even if he doesn’t continue playing center. Most importantly: stop taking so many penalties!

All in all, Martinook has turned out to be a pleasant surprise, but don’t expect one of Arizona’s best-kept secrets to stay hidden for long. Gus Katsaros, one of the analysts for McKeen’s Hockey, has certainly taken notice.

Katsaros noted in an email that Martinook would be one of the Coyotes players to receive a player profile in this year’s edition of the McKeen’s Hockey Yearbook, an annual online publication that will be available mid-August. Until it’s available, Katsaros is providing some insights on his Twitter feed as he writes up the players for each team. He also provided a sneak peak for some of what will be included in Martinook’s profile.

“Intelligent and competitive forward, with deceptive top speed and unyielding tenacity ... an energetic valuable option on penalty kill, forcing puckholders to hurry plays...”

With his tenacity on the puck and his ability to play up and down the lineup in multiple positions, Martinook has earned his overall grade of A- for this season. It’s easy to see why he has voted by the fans as the team’s Hardest Working Player Award again and no one knows what position he might be playing next.

So, what do you think?

The grades of all the other Coyotes players can be found on our master post here.