It takes just one superstar caliber player to turn around a franchise and the Arizona Coyotes may have that with center Logan Cooley.
The Arizona Coyotes have built a very promising young core throughout the last few years.
While the majority of the Coyotes upcoming prospects have potential to do great things in the NHL, it's Logan Cooley that arguably has the most superstar potential.
Arizona drafted the 19-year-old center with the third overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. He played at the University of Minnesota this past season where he had 22 goals, 38 assists and 60 points in 39 games. Cooley was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, given to the best collegiate men's hockey player and he also helped lead his team the NCAA championship where they ultimately lost to Quinnipiac University.
It's Cooley’s electric speed on the ice and natural goal scoring abilities that mark him as one of the top prospects not only for the Coyotes but the entire NHL.
"He's just what we need; he has a chance to be a No. 1 center in the National Hockey League," Arizona general manager Bill Armstrong said via NHL.com’s Alan Robinson. "And they're hard to find."
The center position has become the most coveted and important position in the game of hockey today. Cooley’s skillsets match exactly what a traditional top center needs. He is a fast skater with offensive abilities that can easily translate to the professional level.
Cooley alongside Clayton Keller would be a dangerous duo that can put the Coyotes over the top as a true contender in the Western Conference.
The majority of Stanley Cup winning teams in recent memory have drafted at least one franchise altering in the first round of the draft including the Pittsburgh Penguins with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, the Colorado Avalanche with Nathan Mackinnon and Cale Makar and the Chicago Blackhawks with Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews.
With Cooley, the Coyotes may have that sort of transcendent player that has the ability to elevate his team to elite status.