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).
Barrett Hayton
2022-23 League: NHL (Arizona Coyotes)
Games Played: 82
Goals: 19
Assists: 24
Highest Rating: 3
Lowest Rating: 4
Originally drafted fifth overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, Barrett Hayton drew comparisons to Patrice Bergeron. While Hayton has steadily improved since being drafted and played his first full season with the Desert Dogs, he still has a long way to go before that comparison seems appropriate.
After taking small steps every season, Barrett Hayton’s development took a giant leap forward last season. Midway through the season, he claimed the top-line center role from Travis Boyd, and he spent the latter half playing on a line with Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz.
And Hayton definitely played well with Keller and Schmaltz. The trio was on the ice for 34 goals, making it the best combination for all three players.
With Keller and Schmaltz, Hayton’s points jumped from 24 points in 60 games last season to 43 in 82 this past season. All but 10 of last season’s points were generated 5-on-5, meaning Hayton didn’t just rely on increased power play time.
Hayton was also a beast in the faceoff circle. With a 51.1% faceoff win percentage, Hayton was behind only Laurent Dauphin on the Coyotes in faceoff win percentage, with Dauphin only playing in 21 games.
With the season rapidly approaching, Hayton will probably start with Keller and Schmaltz again. But this season, Hayton will have to deal with some significant internal competition in the form of Logan Cooley. Cooley may not be ready for top-line duty this season, but he seems poised to take Hayton’s spot on the top line eventually.
Even with Cooley, there is absolutely a place for Barrett Hayton on the Coyotes moving forward. He seems poised to be a solid second-line center for the Desert Dogs, hopefully providing a second layer of offense with some solid offensive players.
Hayton is in the final year of a two-year deal with the Coyotes. He should earn a raise and possibly a lengthy extension if he has another stellar season. But it will be up to him to defend his spot and show that he doesn’t need to play with the best players to play his best.