The Arizona Coyotes surprised many when they selected Barrett Hayton fifth-overall in the 2018 draft, but he looks like he will be ready to step up to the NHL next season.
When the Arizona Coyotes were on the board with the fifth overall pick on draft day, many believed it was a slam-dunk that Czech winger Filip Zadina was heading to the desert.
The talented winger may have ended up with the Coyotes had it not been for a 6-foot-1, 192lbs Canadian centre playing in the Soo.
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Hayton was a surprising choice by the Coyotes, but early impressions suggest that he could be ready to step up to the NHL team as early as next season.
The Kitchener, Ontario native was originally named to the Coyotes’ 23-man roster to start the 2018/19 season, but the team ultimately decided he was better suited to return to juniors for another campaign in the OHL.
Since returning to juniors, Hayton has been named the captain of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and is in fine form for the team, already starting to show that he is ready to turn pro next season.
In just 20 regular season appearances for the Greyhounds, Hayton has already scored 15 goals and earned 33 total points.
During his draft year, Hayton registered 60 total points (21 goals, 39 assists) in 63 regular season games.
This season, however, Hayton would earn 104 total points and around 47 goals if he were to play in the same number of games.
This upturn in production will be a great sight to head coach Rick Tocchet and general manager John Chayka, with the young Canadian developing at an impressive rate – further supporting the team’s decision to draft him.
The Coyotes offence has struggled at times this season, particularly with some disappointing injuries coming to key players, so knowing that Hayton is progressing on schedule and could be ready to join the line-up in 2019/20 will be welcome news to the team.
His impressive performances in juniors also saw Hayton represent Canada at the World Junior Championships this year, with the Arizona Coyotes prospect registering four assists in five games for his country.
The Canadian team were knocked out of the tournament at the Quarterfinals by Finland, but Hayton still had a positive impact in the handful of games he participated in.
While Hayton didn’t see any ice time with the pros this season, he should be more than ready to stake a claim for a roster spot come October 2019.
What do you think Coyotes fans? Are you pleased to see Hayton progressing well in his development? Will he have a realistic shot at making the team next season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!