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The Arizona Coyotes acquired the Pittsburgh Penguins’ sixth-round pick along with Josh Archibald and Sean Maguire back in 2017 when the sent Michael Leighton and a fourth-round pick to Pittsburgh. With that pick, the Coyotes drafted center Anthony Romano of the Sioux Falls Stampede.
Team: Clarkson University
Regular Season Games Played: 33
Goals: 6
Assists: 4
At 176th overall, the Coyotes have a 5’11” 183 pound center from Richmond Hill, Ontario. Romano would go from the USHL to the NCAA and spent his freshman year with Clarkson University.
It can often take time for players to adjust to a higher level of hockey, and this seems to hold true for Romano. He finished 8th on his team in goals scored and tied for 9th in total points.
For the second straight season, Romano finished with more goals than assists. It is still too early to know if that trend is going to continue, but it could be the mark of a goal scorer. Whether or not that will translate to higher leagues remains to be seen.
Being drafted 176th overall, Romano has a difficult choice to make it to the NHL. He is going to need to work hard to earn good ice time in college and keep improving.