Just before the Arizona Coyotes take on the New Jersey Devils, both teams have talent on their rosters, but two players stand out.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!For the Coyotes, the overwhelming talk of the hockey world when regarding Arizona players is center Logan Cooley.
After “that goal” in Australia during the NHL Global preseason series, the anticipation to see his debut is high.
LOGAN COOLEY WHAT A GOAL pic.twitter.com/SjB1AE113U
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) September 23, 2023
As for Hughes, he is already off to a blistering start this season with 2 goals scored last night against the Detroit Red Wings.
With 99 points last season, Hughes has blossomed into one of the best players in the league.
When these two squads face-off, here is why these two young players deserve the spotlight:
Logan Cooley
During the preseason, the Coyotes leading point scorer wasn’t star Clayton Keller, it was Cooley.
Scoring 4 goals and assisting twice, Cooley’s performance in the preseason has given him the opportunity to play at the NHL level.
Fresh off a 60 point season in 39 game at the University of Minnesota, Cooley signed a three-year entry-level contract in the valley.
As his main strengths, Cooley’s playmaking ability alongside his edge work turn corners is what truly makes him must-see-tv.
Assisting 38 times for Minnesota, look for his on-ice vision and finding teammates open for scoring chances.
Most importantly, the third overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, Cooley, may just be another player that can turn the Coyotes fortunes around.
After being in a rebuild for practically 10 years with one playoff appearance since 2012, adding Cooley is one of the future bright spots of this team.
Moreover, him playing with a veteran like Jason Zucker can only benefit Cooley’s progression as he will gain experience and knowledge of the NHL game.
Time will tell with how Cooley will develop in the desert, but the debut in New Jersey will be important for him to show ‘Yotes fans why he was drafted so high.
Comment a "🥶" if you're excited to watch Cooley's debut tonight!
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🎙️ ESPN 620 AM pic.twitter.com/YlJ3IEa11e— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) October 13, 2023
Jack Hughes
Since being drafted #1 overall in the 2019 NHL Draft, Hughes’ first two years were somewhat disappointing, then the last two campaigns he had finally showed his true potential.
In his first 117 games or two seasons, Hughes scored just 18 goals and 34 assists for 52 points.
Then, Hughes became an over-a-point-per-game player in the 2021-22 season as he had 56 points in 49 games.
With him starting to get comfortable in the NHL, Hughes stats exploded even more last year.
43 goals, 56 assists in only 78 games was Hughes’ stat line.
His game revolves around speed, but he added yet another weapon to his arsenal last year.
Not being hesitant to shoot anymore, Hughes went from taking less than 300 shot attempts in his first three years to 554 last campaign.
As for shots-on-goal, that number skyrocketed from 165 two seasons ago to 336 in 2022-23.
With him being the Devils go-to-guy, Hughes is the most dangerous player on the team, and with good reason.
In his first game of the season, Hughes didn’t score once, but twice.
Even though the Devils are playing two games in two days, Hughes will look to continue his run of form as they play the Coyotes tonight at 4 p.m. in New Jersey.
Coyotes begin regular season against powerhouse in New Jersey
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Alec Cipollini is a journalist covering the Arizona Coyotes, Cardinals and Phoenix Rising for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account @AlecCipollini
