Coyotes add impressive talent haul in Chicago at 2017 NHL Draft
With the youth movement seemingly in full swing for the Arizona Coyotes, the team loaded up for the future June 23-24 at the 2017 NHL Draft in Chicago.
The Coyotes selected defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph from the Charlottetown Islanders of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in the first round (23rd overall), and Joseph could not contain his excitement in front of the media.
“I didn’t know it was my name – I was in a blank space in my head,” said Joseph. “Then I heard it and I just stopped moving, just a frozen moment for a fraction of a second.”
Arizona then selected eight more players on Day 2.
With the 44th overall pick in the second round, the Coyotes selected defenseman Filip Westerlund from Sweden) and then added an impressive trio in the third round.
The Coyotes chose Hamilton Bulldogs (Ontario Hockey League) forward Mackenzie Entwistle with the 69th overall pick in the third round, center Nate Schnarr from the Guelph Storm (OHL) with the 75th overall choice and then with the 82nd overall selection in the same round, the Coyotes tabbed defenseman and Boston University recruit Cameron Crotty from the Brockville Braves of the Central Canada Hockey League.
Defenseman Noel Hoefenmayer (OHL’s Ottawa 67’s) was taken in the fourth round (108th overall) by the Coyotes and another defenseman, Boston College-bound Michael Karow (USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms), went to Arizona in the fifth round (126th overall). Center Tyler Steenbergen from Swift Current (Western Hockey League) went two picks later.
The Coyotes’ final selection was in the seventh round (190th overall) as Swedish forward Erik Walli Walterholm went off the board.
Also in Chicago, the Coyotes made a pair of trades, acquiring defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for defenseman Connor Murphy and forward Laurent Dauphin and then getting center Derek Stepan and goaltender Antti Raanta from the New York Rangers in exchange for the seventh overall pick in this year’s draft and defenseman Anthony DeAngelo.
Photo/Matt Mackinder
— Matt Mackinder