It may just be a short-term opportunity with the Coyotes, but Dylan Guenther is ready to show the organization what he is capable of.
What is the feeling of getting called-up to the NHL?
“Your legs get a little tingly, they get a little light, you get that kind of spark in you.”
That's what Arizona Coyotes forward Dylan Guenther had to say about what sort of emotions hit him immediately after getting called-up from the Tucson Roadrunners to the NHL.
Guenther was assigned to the Coyotes on Saturday in what should be a short-term stint with the team according to coach André Tourigny.
For context, Guenther was selected by Arizona with the ninth overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, so he is one of the team’s most highly touted prospects.
However, he has never really been able to secure a regular spot on the Coyotes through the past couple of years as he continues his development.
While the 20-year-old was with the Coyotes all of training camp, he failed to make the team and was sent down to the AHL to play with the Roadrunners.
In Tucson Guenther has thrived, tallying 10 goals, 18 assists and 28 points in a 29 game span where he has improved.
“The idea of playing fast, that was the message that came across to me when I was sent down,” Guenther said. “It was, You gotta play fast, you gotta play with more pace. Physically I feel faster, I feel good on my skates and moving the puck quick and using my legs to create opportunities.”
It was Guenther’s fantastic play in Tucson that helped him earn this opportunity with the Coyotes, a team that is struggling offensively largely due to missing Barrett Hayton and Jason Zucker.
Going into his second stint with Arizona, Guenther is planning on just playing his game and helping give that spark offensively that the team desperately needs.
“Just take the momentum that I have created down there and bring it up here,” Guenther said on his approach. “I’m not going to try and come up here and change anything, playing in the NHL now. I think my play down there is what has gotten me to this point now, and just come up here and play with confidence and look to try and make an impact.”
He may just be with the Coyotes short-term, but this is Guenther’s chance to show what he is capable of and almost force the organization to keep him in the NHL moving forward if he is able to play exceptionally well.
Guenther practiced on Saturday on a line alongside Matias Maccelli and Jack McBain as well as the first wave of the power play, so he has been put in situations where he can truly make an impact.
This is just the next step in Guenther’s development. Fans may have to be a little bit patient, but Guenther is on the right path to being successful in the future.