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 this year’s rankings, I am joined by James Reeve (@JamesRJReeve), Mike Gould (@miketgould), Haynes Evans (@HaynesPEvans), and Matthew Jacobson (@TheAZSportsGuy).
Artyom Duda
2022-23 League: KHL (CSKA Moskva), VHL (Zvezda Moskva), MHL (Krasnaya Armiya Moskva)
Games Played: 14, 3, 14
Goals: 0, 0, 5
Assists: 3, 0, 8
MHL Playoffs Games Played: 4
MHL Playoffs Goals: 0
MHL Playoffs Assists: 0
Highest Rating: 14
Lowest Rating: 21
Drafted 36th overall in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, defenseman Artyom Duda has had an interesting development path. Last year, he made his KHL debut, playing 14 games with CSKA Moskva, and next season, he will be playing with the University of Maine in the NCAA.
The move from getting games in the KHL to playing in the NCAA is unusual, which led some people to wonder if it was even possible, given the NCAA’s amateur status requirements. But the season is rapidly approaching with no word that it won’t be allowed, which is good for the university, which is already seeing a boost in ticket sales.
Duda is a highly-rated prospect for the Coyotes, and his moving to adjust to North American ice will hopefully help his development and decrease the time it takes for him to be NHL-ready. In July, Craig Morgan of PHNX ranked Duda third among defenseman prospects, while Corey Pronman ranked him 10th among Coyotes prospects in August.
The Coyotes’ blue line has been an issue for a long time, and with the departure of Jakob Chychrun, the Yotes need a new number-one defenseman. Duda will likely not be that defenseman, but he could still be a big part of the Coyotes’ defensive core moving forward.
Duda’s offensive ability and IQ stand out in all of his prospect reports, something the Coyotes could certainly use in the future. Especially if he can serve as a power play quarterback and help improve the Coytoes’ anemic power play.
Having already played in the top Russian league, Duda may not be far off from making his North American professional debut. If he can adjust to the change in rink size with the University of Maine team this year, he could see time with the Roadrunners at the end of the season and could be a dark horse candidate for making the team next season. But he is only 19, so he may need a few more years before he is ready for full-time NHL duty, which is normal for a defenseman.