The Arizona Coyotes have gone through a number of different line combinations this season. One line that has clicked recently is that of Logan Cooley, Nick Bjugstad and Dylan Guenther. One established veteran center and two of the team’s top young forward prospects seem like a strange trio but their play styles are all compatible with one another. 240106_Guenther Media Scrum “If you can get three lines that are producing in the National Hockey League, you get a chance to win every single night,” general manager Bill Armstrong said via Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo. [https://arizonasports.com/story/3541288/coyotes-armstrong-logan-cooley-dylan-guenther/] “I feel like with Bjugstad, that older veteran who can transport the puck safely up the ice, Guenther’s got a heck of a shot and Cooley can make some plays, I feel like they complement each other. I think Bjugstad calms them down and I think they can help us in the second half produce some offense from that line. So I’m excited about watching those guys together.” The Coyotes called-up Guenther from the American Hockey League earlier this month and through four games he has been fantastic, tallying two goals, one assist and three points in four games. Cooley is currently in the middle of his rookie season where he has three goals, 17 assists and 20 points in 41 games. While Guenther and Cooley have some differences, they are really in very similar positions. Both of them were drafted in the first round by the Coyotes and are trying to prove that they truly belong in the NHL and could make an impact on this team. Since being paired together, they have both elevated their game which could be a sign of great chemistry. “One of the biggest things we wanted to make sure he had improved, he had taken that step of being stronger, being more consistent and we felt after watching the first three games he was good,” Armstrong said. “He gives Cooley a running mate, they’re compatible and play well together. We also felt he had good put in his time in the (AHL), and he had done some things we asked him to improve. He came up with a boatload of confidence. He showed some really great signs taking that next step being an everyday NHL player and we’re excited about his progress.” 240109_BjugyMediaScrum By playing on the wing, a lot of the defensive pressure is taken off Cooley and he has been playing more freely and looks to be more confident. Guenther and Cooley have extremely high offensive upside and Bjugstad is the steady link that brings the best out of these two young promising players. We may be witnessing the start of a lethal duo that could make an impact in Arizona for years to come.
