The Arizona Coyotes prioritize size in the 2023 NHL Draft as they made a clear statement with their 12 selections.
The Arizona Coyotes have a clear vision for the future. They are thinking big, literally and figuratively.
Arizona had 12 draft picks in the 2023 NHL Draft and not a single one of their propects that they selected were under six feet tall.
The Coyotes drafted six forwards, three defenseman and three goalies. Why is it that Arizona went after specifically bigger and taller players?
The answer is simple. In the playoffs, it became more and more apparent that in order to be a Stanley Cup contender, teams need size. The playoffs are played at a completely different level. It's tougher, harder to score goals and more defensively oriented.
Looking back at this year's playoffs, the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers were known for their physicality which was a driving force in bringing both teams all the way to the Stanley Cup Final.
When Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong won a Stanley Cup in 2019 as a member of the St. Louis Blues front office, that team also was built with big physical players that played a tough brand of hockey. It seems Armstrong is now trying to follow that very same method to a tee in Arizona.
Armstrong made a statement on night one of the draft by selecting 6-foot-4 defenseman Dmitri Simashev with the sixth overall pick and 6-foot-5 left winger Daniil But at the 12th pick.
On day two of the draft, the Coyotes picked two more defenseman in Terrell Goldsmith at the 102nd pick Justin Kipkie at 160th overall who are both 6-foot-4 respectively.
Similarly to But, the Coyotes drafted center Samu Bau at the 162nd pick who is also 6-foot-5. Arizona’s other forwards they selected include third rounders Jonathan Castagna, Noel Nordh, Tanner Ludtke and Vadim Moroz.
The Coyotes also made sure to draft goalies that provide a big frame as well. Arizona selected goaltenders Melker Thelin at 134th overall and Carsen Musser with the 166th pick. The team’s goalie selections were headlined by the 6-foot-7, 216-pound Michael Hrabal who was picked at 38th overall and feels his size is a major part of his game.
"Everyone sees my size ... the way I move with my size is something that's my strength," Hrabal said via Coyotes team reporter Patrick Brown.
This draft strategy of picking for size is not a recent development for the Coyotes. In the 2022 NHL Draft, they only picked one player that was under six feet tall.
Armstrong has a vision for the Coyotes and when all these prospects are ready to play in the NHL, they will be towering over their opponents.