Howlin' Hockey
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Arizona Coyotes Leave Big Questions After First Major Cuts

By Alex Temes

Oct 3, 2016; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Arizona Coyotes forward Dylan Strome (20) shoots the puck against Vancouver Canucks goaltender Jacob Markstrom (25) and defenseman Ben Hutton (27) during the third period during a preseason hockey game at Rogers Arena. The Arizona Coyotes won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 3, 2016; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Arizona Coyotes forward Dylan Strome (20) shoots the puck against Vancouver Canucks goaltender Jacob Markstrom (25) and defenseman Ben Hutton (27) during the third period during a preseason hockey game at Rogers Arena. The Arizona Coyotes won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports /
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Arizona Coyotes
Jun 24, 2016; Buffalo, NY, USA; Jakob Chychrun poses for a photo after being selected as the number sixteen overall draft pick by the Arizona Coyotes in the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft at the First Niagra Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports /

Question 1: Jakob Chychrun has impressed management all training camp, but can he make the Opening Night roster with six other defenseman fighting for only a single spot?

Few players from the recent draft, let alone players as young as Jakob Chychrun, have impressed their respective organizations as well as Chychrun has.

While we watched Chychrun slide to 16th in the draft, he’s been out on the ice this September proving that he should have been in the top five.

Related Story: Chychrun Should Make Coyotes Opening Night Roster

Over the course of Chychrun’s preseason efforts, he’s averaged more than 20 minutes of ice time, taking top pairing shifts with Connor Murphy and highlighting why he was 2nd on the draft boards before his last junior hockey season.

But Chychrun has competition for the final roster spot.

Suspended veteran defenseman Jarred Tinordi is working his way back towards being a legitimate NHL player. Klas Dahlbeck has also grown to become one of the Arizona Coyotes’ better defensive defensemen.

Yet in the end, if Chychrun is really as dynamic as the initial reviews claim, he might just find himself in the desert this winter instead of Sarnia, Ontario.

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