Phil Kessel's replacement? Dylan Guenther and what the young sniper will bring to the Coyotes roster
Recently Phil Kessel has opted to leave the Arizona Coyotes organization for a better chance at winning a Stanley Cup, and that is swell, but it leaves a need for a pure-goalscorer on the Coyotes roster.
And that is exactly where the Coyotes first round selection in the 2021 NHL Draft comes in, Dylan Guenther from the WHL's Edmonton Oil Kings, was selected with the ninth overall selection. Guenther has played his entire junior career with the Oil Kings, who are also his hometown's junior team.
The Edmonton Oil Kings captain is set to play his fifth and final season of junior eligibility. Last season Guenther exploded offensively, using his signature elite NHL-caliber shot, and brilliant offensive IQ en route to a 45 goal, 46 assist, 91 point season through 59 regular season games.
Guenther's WHL career has spanned 137 games, over the course of which he's scored 86 goals, 92 assists for 178 points.
Surely the blow of losing Kessel is a tough one for the Coyotes to absorb, but waiting in the wings are a potential all-star duo in Logan Cooley and the aforementioned Guenther, who will pair quite nicely with Clayton Keller and the rest of the Coyotes talent, albeit viewed widely as the opposite.
Brighter days are ahead for the Coyotes, and their recent drafting has provided a sense of excitement for the future of the organization.
