Arizona Coyotes Face Big Decision With No. 3 Overall Pick

The Arizona Coyotes underwent a major overhaul this season in jettisoning a number of veteran players to kickstart the rebuild they hope will return them to contender status.

One of the bright spots of being so atrocious this season is the team earned the third pick in a pretty deep 2015 NHL Draft. While phenom centers Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel will be off the board by the time the Yotes pick, Arizona has a really unique spot to nab one of two potential stars. McDavid’s Erie Otters teammate Dylan Strome was one of the most productive players in junior hockey, while Boston College defenseman Noah Hanifin has the tools to be the No. 1 defenseman all contenders need/covet.

Strome is a wiry 6-foot-3 two-way center who projects to be an Anze Kopitar type of player who can kill penalties and shutdown opposing stars, and he can put the puck in the net. In a Western Conference where having a center like Kopitar, Joe Thornton, Ryan Getzlaf and Jonathan Toews is a must to compete, Strome is a proverbial round peg in a round hole.

It’s worth noting Arizona has amazing organizational depth on the wing with prospects Anthony Duclair, Max Domi, Brendan Perlini and Christian Dvorak leading the pack. Strome winning a battle in the corner and deftly saucing a pass over to one of his ultra-skilled wingers in the slot could be a nightmare for Coyote opponents.

On the flip side, Hanifin is a tall defenseman who has world class skating ability and an upside that is on par with Drew Doughty (an all-everything defenseman who is a catalyst for a championship team). As one of the NCAA’s youngest players, Hanifin did not look out of place and was able to play big minutes on a talented Eagles team. I still think Hanifin needs to “put it all together” and add a physical element to his game, but the skill set is definitely there. There’s no reason to doubt Hanifin will be an integral part of an NHL team’s defensive corps for a long time.

I love what both players bring to the table and can see Arizona going either way as it really is a “win-win.” Having said that, I think Hanifin will be its pick as the Norwood, Mass. native serves as a perfect complement to current Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. A team with those two on defense would send fear into even the toughest Western Conference teams.