Arizona Coyotes plan for future with three first-round picks in 2022 NHL Draft

Patience is a virtue for the Arizona Coyotes and its rebuilding process, but Thursday night will be a glimpse of what will come from it.

Although the Coyotes ultimately fell out of the top two picks for the NHL Draft, Coyotes General Manager Bill Armstrong has a rare opportunity to make seven choices in the first two rounds, including three first-round picks. The Coyotes tied its highest selection at No. 3 overall since moving to Arizona.

“The preparation leading into it has been outstanding from our group but we’ve been on it since the start of last summer and it’s continued to push forward. We’re going to get a good player at No. 3, that’s the truth to it,” Armstrong said.

In his second year as the Coyotes GM, Armstrong has a different plan of approach than in the last draft. The Coyotes didn’t initially have a first-round pick due to the team violating the league’s combine testing policy under previous GM John Cha. However, a massive trade on draft day sent former captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Conor Garland to the Vancouver Canucks for the ninth overall pick and quickly changed the tone.

Other trades in last year’s offseason set up this year’s first round, including No. 27 from the Carolina Hurricanes and No. 32 from the Colorado Avalanche.

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With a pick in the top three, Armstrong and his staff are even more confident to use the shared experience and knowledge from the group that includes four people who have helped select No. 1 overall in the past.

“They love being where we are at No. 3 and the fact that we’ve got seven picks in the first two rounds, that’s what they’re born to do. The pressure feels good, and this is where you can make a difference for your organization in the top 10 where you can pick the game-changers and the moneymakers. That’s where we’re picking,” Armstrong said.

Several mock drafts have the Coyotes selecting center Logan Cooley from the USA Hockey National Team Development Program. Another option floated around was left-wing Juraj Slafkovský.

Armstrong made it clear that his staff isn’t looking for a player to fill a specific position and is looking for the best fit. The staff will weigh each prospect by their hockey sense, size, speed, and skill.

“Our staff is really good at putting that best player on the list and taking that best player with the ingredients that we need. That's the way we look at it and we never go to the point where we’re like, hey, listen, we’re going to draft this specific position and go buy everything else,” Armstrong said.

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Holding four picks in the second round will also aid in the vision for the rebuild as the Coyotes can afford to take time to develop players who are a few years from cracking the NHL. The Coyotes will select at No. 34, 36, 43 and 45 on the second day.

“We’d rather our kids go through the process and earn it. You plant a tree and you can put the right nutrients around it and water it every single day, it’s only going to grow so fast. You got to have the patience to let it grow properly and not try and rush it,” Armstrong said.

The rebuilding process will take time as Armstrong referenced past franchises that went through growing pains before winning the Stanley Cup. To make the playoffs, teams usually take five or six years from the start of their rebuild, Armstrong said.

Although the Coyotes want to return to the playoffs, Armstrong knows that the team on the ice will still compete and showcase younger talent.

“That’s the good news on the front is that when you come watch us, you’re going to see some young, talented players and some hope being inflexed into our organization,” Armstrong said.

The NHL Draft will be held at Bell Centre in Montreal and will be televised on ESPN at 4 p.m. on Thursday.

Reach the reporter at jenna.ortiz@arizonarepublic.com or 602-647-4122. Follow her on Twitter @jennarortiz. 

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 2022 NHL Draft preview: Coyotes plan for future with 3 first-rounders