All Aboard The Dylan Guenther Hype-Train!

There is a lot of hype around Arizona Coyotes prospect Dylan Guenther as the regular season gets underway. Guenther was drafted 9th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft and his performances in Canada’s Western Hockey League leaves no doubt as to why he was drafted so high.

Guenther had 178 points over parts of 4 seasons playing for the Edmonton Oil Kings. He finished off the 2021/22 junior season with adrenaline pumping stats. He had 45 goals and 46 assists in only 59 games. Guenther’s play helped propel the Oil Kings to a WHL championship last season as well.

Guenther had 7 points in 7 games at the 2021 IIHF Under-18 Tournament while representing Canada.

The 19 year old forward had 3 points in his six pre-season games this year. He’s looking to stay up with the big club and avoid being sent back to Edmonton for a final junior season. He will have 9 games to impress Arizona Coyotes head coach Andre Tourigny and his staff.

After the 9 game mark Tourigny will have to decide if Guenther is ready for the everyday grind of the NHL or if he needs another year of development. If Guenther stays in Arizona then it will eat up 1 year of his entry-level contract. He will likely need to play in the top-6 in order to make any kind of meaningful impact in Arizona.

The Coyotes organization are certainly looking to build excitement around the team with this being the inaugural season in their temporary home, Mullett Arena. The Coyotes are largely expected to be in the basement of the NHL this season while they continue their rebuild but having a possible star in Guenther play may help hasten the rebuild.

Guenther did not play in the Coyotes opening night loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night. His goal scoring prowess was sorely needed in the 6-2 thumping. His next chance to shine will be on the road against the Boston Bruins this weekend.