Arizona Coyotes send Conor Garland back to Tucson
By James Reeve
The Arizona Coyotes today announced that forward Conor Garland has been assigned to the team’s AHL affiliates, the Tucson Roadrunners.
Conor Garland has been sent down to the AHL by the Arizona Coyotes, giving the Tucson Roadrunners a much-needed boost in their final three games of the regular season.
The Roadrunners currently sit fifth in the AHL’s Pacific Division, having once sat in first place earlier in the season, with a very slim chance of making it into the post-season.
Garland, meanwhile, has had a very strong rookie campaign after being called up initially as injury cover back in December.
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While only averaging 12:47 on the ice, Garland earned 13 goals and 18 total points in 47 regular season games – with his .28 goals per game average ranking third among rookies in 2018/19.
Prior to his promotion to the NHL club, the 23-year-old was having the strong start to any AHL season in his career – registering eight goals and 19 total points in just 18 regular season games.
The Coyotes’ fifth-round (123rd overall) pick in the 2015 entry draft has a bright future ahead of him, having taking a little longer to develop in juniors and the minors.
Now that Garland’s season with the Coyotes is over, the team have decided to give their AHL affiliates the best possible chance at challenging for a playoff spot in their final three games.
Having Garland back in the line-up will be a huge boost for head coach Jay Varady – with the Roadrunners currently sitting just three points behind the San Diego Gulls in third.
Garland will undoubtedly be a top-line forward for the Roadrunners, providing them with a legitimate AHL scoring pedigree and a lot of confidence after what should be viewed as an impressive spell in the NHL – earning a tied-fourth highest amount of power-play goals (4) with the Arizona Coyotes.
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What do you think Coyotes fans? Is the move a sensible decision by the organisation? How excited are you to see Garland continue to play with another playoff-chasing team? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!