Recapping the Coyotes Draft Day 2

After a surprising move yesterday, with the Arizona Coyotes moving up to draft defenseman Victor Soderstrom, they were a bit quieter today. That’s not to say they did nothing, with the team trading the 74th pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for the 98th, 151st, and 207th picks.

On the second day the Coyotes did flip the script a bit. After selecting a defenseman the Coyotes went all in on forwards. They drafted only forwards for the first six rounds.

76th - John Farinacci

Center

Dexter School

6’0” 185 lbs

Hailing from Red Bank, NJ Farinacci is a smart forward who spent last season as captain of Dexter School in the USHS-Prep league, as well as playing for the USA U18 Selects, USNTDP, and the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the USHL. In sixteen games with Dexter School he finished with 12 goals and 21 assists he finished second on his team behind Chase McInnis who played almost twice as many games. His managed 2 goals and an assist in two games with the Lumberjacks, and was pointless in two games each with the USNTDP Juniors and US National U18 teams.

Pronman describes Farinacci as:

Farinacci has great hockey sense, showing poise with the puck and a mature understanding of the center position. He can execute the difficult passes and is looking to make a play. He’s got very good puck skills

While the Coyotes drafted a defenseman in the first round, they do need to continue acquiring and grooming forwards. Farinacci needs to work on his skating, but his skill with the puck can hopefully be an asset in a few seasons after taking some time to develop. Next season he is set to play at Harvard.

98th - Matias Macceli

Left Wing

Dubuque Fighting Saints

5’11” 170 lbs

With Macceli the Coyotes again drafted a forward with great playmaking skills and solid hockey sense. Marccelli may not be the biggest forward, but that hasn’t stopped the Turku, Finland native. Macceli spent last seasons in the USHL with the Dubuque Fighting Saints where he finished with 31 goals and 41 assists in 63 games, leading the team by 22 points.

Corey Pronman actually had Maccelli going much higher, ranking him 49th. He notes:

Maccelli’s game starts with his skill. He’s a great puck handler who can create separation from defenders with his hands. He’s also a great playmaker who can hit seam passes consistently and run a power play.

After spending the last season and a half in America Maccelli is set to return to Finland to play with Ilves in the Liiga league. This should give Maccelli the opportunity to work on his physical game against adults and will hopefully quicken his development.

107th - Alexander Daryin a.k.a. Alexandr Darin

Left Wing

Loko Yaroslavl/Loko-Yunior Yaroslavl

5’10” 159 lbs.

Continuing the trend of drafting forwards, the Coyotes drafted Daryin, a Russian winger who played well for Loko Yaroslavl in the Russian MHL. He was second in points with 20 goals and 15 assists in 47 games and has shown a degree of skill this past season. With him the team would win their second MHL title, and Daryin would have a goal and 3 assists in eleven playoff games.

Like Maccelli, Pronman ranked Daryin much higher then he was drafted. At rank 56 he stats:

He’s quick, he’s skilled, he competes and his game is full of pace. Daryin was often asked to bring pucks up the ice and to use his speed and great hands to enter the zone with control.

Like most players the Coyotes drafted today Daryin will need some time to develop. He isn’t the smallest player but he could benefit by adding some weight. But considering he went from starting in a lower league to helping a team win a championship we can hopefully see Daryin continue to improve in the next few years.

151 - Aku Raty

Right Wing

Karpat Jr.

6’0” 170lbs

The Coyotes continued the trend of drafting forwards, getting another Finish winger in Aku Raty. Ray is a native of Oulu and has been playing with Karpat in the Jr. A SM-Iiiga league. Last season in 52 games he had 19 goals and 26 assists, good for fourth on the team. As the team advanced to the playoffs he would add another 3 goals and 6 assists in eleven games, tied for third in playoff points for the team.

Like most players in the later rounds, Raty is a bit of a wild card. He has played well in Finland though, and hopefully will continue to improve as he moves forward. Raty will stay in Finland next season, and may play with Karpat either in Liiga or Jr. A SM-Iiiga.

174 - Danil Savunov

Forward

Dizel Penza

5’10 148 lbs

Savunov is yet another Russian forward, having spent last season with Dizel Penza in the VHL and Dizelist Penza in the NMHL. He isn’t necessarily an offensive threat, finishing with 6 goals and 9 assists in 45 games in the VHL and 12 goals and 8 assists in the NMHL. At 148 pounds he is the lightest player the Coyotes drafted. As should be expected from a player drafted this late Savunov will likely need some time to develop his game, and to grow stronger. Savunov is expected to spend next season with Dizel Penza in the VHL.

176 - Anthony Romano

Center/Right Wing

Sioux Fall Stampede

5’11” 174 lbs

Romano is a native of Richmond Hill, Ontario who spent last season with the Sioux Falls Stampede in the USHL. In 60 games with the Stampede he had 26 goals and 21 assists, and was second in scoring on the team. The Stampede would win the USHL Clark Cup, and in the playoffs Romano would score a goal and 2 assists in ten games. Romano didn’t appear on every prospect ranking, but he was ranked 52nd by NHL Central Scouting (NA Skaters). Next season he is set to play with Clarkson University in the NCAA.

200 - Axel Bergkvist

Defenseman

Jeksand Jr

5’9” 201 lbs

It took six rounds but the Coyotes finally drafted another defenseman. Bergkvist is another Swedish defenseman, having split last season with the Leksands IF J20 and Leksands IF. He would spend 23 games with the Leksands IF J20 team, finishing with 12 goals and 9 assists, and 36 games with Leksands IF team, finishing with 3 goals and 7 assists. Bergkvist is expected to spend the next season in Sweden.

207 - Valentin Nussbaumer

Center/Wing

Shawinigan Cataractes

6’0” 168 lbs

Nussbaumer is the first player the Coyotes drafted this season from Switzerland. He spent 58 games with the Shawinigan Cataractes in the QMJHL and finished with 17 goals and 21 assists. Nussbaumer actually was decently ranked, 72 by NHL Central Scouting for North American skaters, 142 by McKeen’s Hockey, and 136 by Future Considerations. At 207 he is definitely a low risk draft, but with his skill he could be prove to be a steal if he makes it to the NHL.