The season is quickly approaching, which means it’s time to look towards the future. We do that every year with the Five For Howling 25 Under 25, ranking the Coyotes’ best players under 25. For the top spot, there could only be one player.
Logan Cooley
2022-23 League: NCAA (University of Minnesota)
Games Played: 39
Goals: 22
Assists: 38
Highest Rating: 1
Lowest Rating: 1
Awards: NCAA Most Assists, Hobey Baker Award Finallist, NCAA (Championship) All-Tournament Team, B1G Scoring Co-Champion
When the Arizona Coyotes were on the clock with the third-overall pick of the 2022 Draft, they had a big decision to make. The previously presumed top pick, Shane Wright, had inexplicably fallen out of the top two and was now available for the Coyotes to snatch up and potentially claim a franchise-altering player.
In fact, the team appears to have done that even though Wright was not the selection, with Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native Logan Cooley already looking to be a genuine future franchise player.
Cooley had a dominant post-draft season playing college hockey with the University of Minnesota, racking up 60 points in just 39 games, finishing five points behind this year’s third-overall pick, Adam Fantilli.
He earned himself a bronze medal and a place on the All-Star Team at this past World Junior Championship, putting up 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in just seven games, demonstrating his elevated development and readiness to jump to the next level.
There were doubts that he would come to the NHL this season, initially opting to remain in Minnesota for another season after his team missed out on winning the championship, finishing as runners-up in the finals. This changed when Cooley signed his three-year entry-level contract with the Coyotes in the summer, helping the team continue their impressive roster upgrades along with their free agency additions.
With pre-season in full swing, Cooley has already captivated audiences with his stellar performances, highlighted by his superb solo goal in Australia against the Los Angeles Kings, which is already considered a candidate for goal of the year before the season has even begun.
Cooley is likely set to feature heavily in the top six for the Coyotes this season and is a clear candidate for the Calder Trophy at the end of the year should he make the seamless transition to the NHL as is expected of him after his impressive past 12 months.
The on-ice product is expected to take the next step this season for the Arizona Coyotes, and Logan Cooley is a significant reason why fans can feel far more optimistic about the future of the franchise moving forward.