The Arizona Coyotes announced that forwards Josh Doan and Conor Geekie have been reassigned this week, and the decision makes sense for both players.
Doan, in particular, had an impressive preseason with the Coyotes this summer, and some fans may have believed he would be given an opportunity to stake a claim on a roster spot with the NHL team.
However, the son of Coyotes legend Shane Doan has found himself sent down to the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL to continue his development in the minors, a place that should benefit him in the long run.
Prior to training camp, it was largely believed that Doan would start the 2023-24 season with the Roadrunners anyway, so seeing him sent down is not overly surprising, but his impressive showing with the NHL club could have swayed some to give him an opportunity at the top level.
However, many of the best teams in the NHL have a habit of being patient with their top prospects and give players who are on the fringes time to over-ripen, spending more time in the minors than might be necessary to tip them over into the next phase of their development.
For Doan, fans should remember that he only finished his college career last season, after putting up 38 points (16 goals, 22 assists) in 39 games with the Arizona State Sun Devils, before finishing the season with the Roadrunners.
In 14 games in the minors, he had six points (three goals, three assists) and will have an opportunity to grow properly this season, potentially playing regularly in the top six and earning valuable minutes against full-time professionals.
As for Geekie, who has been sent back to juniors, he’s in the unfortunate position of being stuck between two options that may not truly be the best for him, with this being the better of the two choices.
The 2022-23 season saw Geekie post a second-consecutive season of more than a point per game with the Winnipeg Ice of the WHL, showing that he is ready to make the jump to the professional level – only to have his avenue there blocked by the continually frustrating CHL-NHL agreement that prevents players joining AHL clubs before the age of 20.
Geekie realistically is ready to play in the AHL and could’ve become a regular linemate of Doan’s this season if he had the chance, however, the only alternative for him was to take the route that Barrett Hayton had earlier in his career – sitting in the press box regularly for the Coyotes, looking for any opportunity to hit the ice.
This is not ideal for a young player’s development, and Hayton has fortunately begun to show what he can produce in the NHL. Still, it took him arguably longer to reach this point than it would had he spent one final year in juniors to continue his development, taking a longer but more beneficial route to the NHL.
Having Geekie dominate in juniors for the Wenatchee Wild will give him plenty of confidence and a lot of high-value minutes on the ice, the only trade-off for playing at a level where he is likely to learn little. Unfortunately, Geekie will also be returning to a program in the grips of controversy, as Wenatchee’s Head Coach, Kevin Constantine, is currently suspended pending the completion of an investigation into his conduct.
Both Doan and Geekie will benefit from their reassignments this season for varying reasons, and it will put them in a strong position come next summer, where they will be able to attempt to make the next jump in their career.
Having young players knocking on the door is only a good thing for the Arizona Coyotes, and both figure to be key components of what should be years of far more positive showings in the NHL, a clear sign that the franchise is turning a corner and heading in the right direction.