Coyotes Have Endless Possibilities Leading up to 2023 NHL Draft

The Arizona Coyotes have a rare opportunity in the upcoming 2023 NHL Draft. They will be drafting in the first-round with their own sixth overall pick and the 12th pick that the Coyotes acquired from the Ottawa Senators in the Jakob Chychrun trade.

The Coyotes will add to their promising young core that already includes top-notch forwards like Clayton Keller, Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther. Arizona has a chance to put themselves in a great situation going forward into the future if they are able to capitalize on both these first-round selections.

"It is a big opportunity for us,"  Coyotes  general manager Armstrong said Saturday at the 2023 NHL Scouting Combine via NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman. "It's an exciting time for us. This draft has what we need in it. Just sit back and be prepared and expect the unexpected. You never know what's coming your way."

The 2023 draft class is predicted to be one of the most talented and deep groups of prospects the NHL has seen in many years. The draft is headlined by highly touted players including Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli, Matevi Michkov and Leo Carlson but each and every first-round pick is set to be extremely valuable.

"We've been told about how exciting the 2005s (their birth year) are for a while now," one NHL general manager told ESPN. "It's why a lot of clubs are looking to hold on to their first-round picks this year. Sounds like you can even get first-round talent in the second round, too, and those picks may be stronger than first-round picks [in 2024]."

With all the draft capitol that the Coyotes have, there are so many options that the team could take. Armstrong can pick two young talented prospects but also could very well trade one of his picks to acquire even more assets. The opportunities are endless for Arizona and Armstrong is looking to keep all options on the table leading up to the draft.

"We'll see what opportunities [arise]," Armstrong said via Kimelman. "I think with the amount of picks that we have in the next upcoming drafts, there's a lot of damage that we could do and there's a lot of options we can do. So we've tried to look at every option possible and just kind of really see what we're going to get in and we'll go from there."

The Coyotes have been rebuilding for a number of years and it finally seems the pieces are starting to come together. The draft has been a strong suit for Armstrong who looks to replicate his success this year and take another big jump as an organization.

"We're building from within," Armstrong said via Kimelman. "It's really hard to get key guys in your organization unless you draft them. It's a drafting league. You look at all the top players in the league, they usually stay with the team that drafted them. So for us, it's the only way to get elite players and help us to take that next step to win a championship."

The draft is set to begin on June 28 in Nashville at Bridgestone Arena.