Dylan Guenther is still in the Coyotes' lineup upon the return of Jason Zucker, meaning it seems like he will stay in the NHL longer than originally anticipated.
Dylan Guenther is still in the Coyotes' lineup upon the return of Jason Zucker, meaning it seems like he will stay in the NHL longer than originally anticipated.
Dylan Guenther seems like he is staying with the Arizona Coyotes for now.
Originally, coach André Tourigny said that Guenther's stint with the team would be ‘short-term’ as Jason Zucker is still out with a suspension.
However, upon Zucker’s return to the lineup, the 20-year-old forward still finds himself with the Coyotes which is an interesting turn of events.
Through Guenther’s first two games back in the NHL, he has been phenomenal to say the least. He has two goals, one assist and three points.
It’s not only about his individual performance, but Guenther is also playing crucial minutes down the stretch while serving a valuable role for this team in just his first couple of games.
“Talk is cheap, how many minutes did he play? That’s what I think,” Tourigny said in his evaluation of Guenther. “He is on the ice as far as I’m concerned with a minute to go in the second, he was on the ice at the end of the first, he is on the first unit of the power play, he is playing a lot, so what can I say.”
It may be a very short sample size right now, but Guenther seems to be adapting to the NHL level just fine.
He plays with an energy and passion that is exciting to watch. The young forward also provides a source of speed along with his powerful shot which gives this offense a much needed jolt.
With Guenther playing high-level, general manager Bill Armstrong has an interesting dilemma. Do you keep Guenther in the NHL or send him back down to the American Hockey League?
By the looks of things, Armstrong and the management staff are happy with Guenther’s performance hence why he is still on the team.
Tourigny is confident that Guenther is in good hands whatever happens to him in the future.
“I’ve liked what I’ve seen every day for Guenther. He is not an if player, he is a when player,” Tourigny said. “I explained why the decision was made, it was a good decision for Guenther, for his future… We need to do what’s right for people. I think that move was the right one and now we need to do the same. We need to do what’s right for him. Billy and his group are montering that and they will make the right decision.”