Arizona Coyotes 2015 Draft Recap
Arizona Coyotes - 1st Round (4th Overall): C Dylan Strome (Erie, OHL)
Name: Dylan Strome
Team/League: Erie Otters / OHL
Position: Center
Shoots: Left
Height/Weight: 6’3″ 187 lbs
Born: March 7, 1997, Mississauga, Ontario
Central Scouting Rankings (Prelim/Mid/Final): “A” / 5th NA /4th NA
Scouting Report: Strome’s elite play with the puck and the way he protects it can make attempts at slowing him down both futile and nightmarish. He’s a hard match up who can carve up any game plan with precision puck movement. Strome is a big-bodied center who destroyed the OHL this year and did so while playing second fiddle to McDavid. He’s excellent at creating plays off the rush, but he also excels when the game is tightly checked and every lane is seemingly clogged. It is in the offensive zone where he uses his size, reach and elite vision to his advantage. He’s a precise passer and gifted playmaker who epitomizes opportunistic; make a bad decision with him on the ice, and there’s a good chance you’re going pay for it. Strome is extremely patient with the puck but knows when to hold on and wait for better options or simply let one rip. He can certainly be classified as a goal scorer; he favors an excellent wrist shot over the slapper, both fired with very good accuracy. He has a great nose for the net and possesses soft hands; time and again you saw Strome quickly corralling rebounds or loose pucks in and around the crease for either a hard-fought goal or a quick pass to an open side.
Arizona Coyotes - 1st Round (30th Overall): RW Nick Merkley (Kelowna, WHL)
Name: Nick Merkley
Position: Right Wing
Shoots: Right
Height/Weight: 5’10 191 lbs
Born: May 23, 1997 Calgary, AB
Central Scouting Rankings (Prelim/Mid/Final): ”A“/ 13th NA/ 23rd NA
Summary: Much like an elite quarterback who tells his receivers “get open and I’ll find you”, Merkley has the ability under blanket cover to attack weaknesses and move the puck safely through the tiniest of seams. Merkley is not physically imposing, but he plays a very tough, physical game and never backs down or gets intimidated by a certain player or situation. While he does play a 200-foot game and is an excellent straightforward skater, Merkley excels in the quick, spur-of-the-moment transition game due to an excellent stick and thief’s mentality.
Arizona Coyotes - 2nd Round (32nd Overall): RW Christian Fischer (US U18, NTDP)
Name: Christian Fischer
Position: Right Wing
Shoots: Right
Height/Weight: 6’1 212 lbs
Born: April 15, 1997 Chicago, IL
Central Scouting Rankings (Prelim/Mid/Final): ”B“/ 40th NA/ 37th NA
Summary: If the NTDP wasn’t so deep, he’d get top-line minutes and top-line stats. A very gifted and clever two-way player who had excellent U18 despite playing on 3rd line, Fischer is consistent at quickly developing chemistry with his linemates. He can also finish thanks to a very accurate, quick-release wrist shot.
Arizona Coyotes - 3rd Round (63rd Overall): LHD Kyle Capobianco (Sudbury, OHL)
Name: Kyle Capobianco
Position: Defenseman
Shoots: Left
Height/Weight: 6’1 178 lbs
Born: August 13, 1997 Mississauga, ON
Central Scouting Rankings (Prelim/Mid/Final): ”NR“/ 67th NA/ 44th NA
Summary: Coyotes’ GM Don Maloney waited until the third round to address the organizational need for depth on defense, which should be bolstered by Capobianco’s addition. A smooth-skating puck mover, he plays a smart game and can run a power play. His stat totals would likely be higher had he not played on a goal-starved team, but his all-around game is what makes him a solid prospect with significant NHL upside.
Arizona Coyotes - 3rd Round (76th Overall): G Adin Hill (Portland, WHL)
Name: Adin Hill
Position: Goaltender
Catches: Left
Height/Weight: 6’4 200 lbs
Born: May 11, 1996, Comox, BC
Central Scouting Rankings (Prelim/Mid/Final): ”NR“/ 9th NA/ 4th NA
Summary: Hill was already 19 years old when Draft Day arrived, so good thing he’s a goalie. He stepped in for Portland and played exceptionally well for a team not known for playing defense all too well. At 6’4 and with good mechanics, he’s going to be in good hands with goaltending guru Sean Burke
Arizona Coyotes - 3rd Round (81st Overall): LW Brendan Warren (US U18, NTDP)
Name: Brendan Warren
Position: Left Wing
Shoots: Left
Height/Weight: 6’0 191 lbs
Born: May 7, 1997, Carleton, MI
Central Scouting Rankings (Prelim/Mid/Final): ”B“/ 34th NA/ 66th NA
Summary: Roadrunner who’s heading to Michigan on the fall. At 6’0, 190 he’s perfect for an in-your-face checking role since his speed and tenacity generates chances. Has difficulty finishing, but Warren is still a perfect fit in a puck-possession system.
Arizona Coyotes - 3rd Round (83rd Overall): RW Jens Looke (Brynas IF Gavle, SHL)
Name: Jens Looke
Position: Right Wing
Shoots: Right
Height/Weight: 6’0 180 lbs
Born: April 11, 1997, Gavle, Sweden
Central Scouting Rankings (Prelim/Mid/Final): ”B“/ 3rd Eur/ 10th Eur
Summary: Looke is the perfect addition for a team trying to develop a penchant for being tough to play against. He’s very quick and hard-working, and loves to cause havoc on the forecheck but can make an accurate pass as a result of it.
Arizona Coyotes - 5th Round (123rd Overall): RW Conor Garland (Moncton, QMJHL)
Name: Conor Garland
Position: Right Wing
Shoots: Right
Height/Weight: 6’0 191 lbs
Born: March 11, 1996, Scituate, MA
Central Scouting Rankings (Prelim/Mid/Final): NR/ NR/ 86th NA
Summary: Jack Eichel’s former teammate with the Junior Bruins who led the QMJHL in scoring with 129 points and the CHL with 94 assists en route to a league MVP award. He was passed over in the 2014 draft and was not ranked by Central Scouting until well into his dominant season in the Q. Explosive skater with a duffel bag’s worth of moves and dangles, Garland was arguably the CHL’s best pure playmaker in 2015.
Arizona Coyotes - 7th Round (183rd Overall): G Erik Kallgren Conor Garland (Linkopings Jrs., Sweden)
Name: Erik Kallgren
Position: Goaltender
Catches: Left
Height/Weight: 5’11 175 lbs
Born: October 14, 1996, Stockholm, SWE
Central Scouting Rankings (Prelim/Mid/Final): NR/ NR/ NR
Summary: Throwback goaltender with cat-like reflexes who led Sweden’s SuperElit in both goals against average (1.76) and save percentage (0.936) but went unnoticed for most of the season because his size.