Having bowed out of the post season to the Red Wings, the Coyotes return to the drawing board. A good foundation has been built in recent days on the blueline, and if they can keep star goaltender, Ilya Bryzgalov in the fold, there should be no reason to expect them to fall back outside the dance. Built on a strong defensive game under Tippet, Phoenix must continue to add skill to it's forward corps. Brandon Gormley, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Brett MacLean highlight their prospect group.
"With the twentieth pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, Phoenix selects, from the Saint John Sea Dogs - Zack Phillips."
Pure goal scorers like Phillips are hard to come by, and that factor has really boosted Phillips in the eye of scouts and general managers alike. While many skills can be kinked out through coaching, development and hard work, a nose for the net is an instinct that can not be taught.
As for skating, Phillips is not the greatest, there's no denying it. He gets around the ice as he needs to but shows no real top gear or the ability to pull away with acceleration. His skating is just not dynamic or flashy enough, and some scouts worry about that. The truth is, that his skating hasn't hindered him at this point, and is something that coaches can work on.
Phillips is an opportunist. When you watch him play, you don't really notice him all that much, yet at the end of the night he has two goals and an assist. He gets the job done. When around the net, he's a pure hound, always has his stick down and finds a way to put the puck in the net.
For much of the year he's played on a line with top prospect, Jonathan Huberdeau, and some wonder if his production could be a product of Huberdeau's slick playmaking, which it very well could be. The two switch back and forth, between center and wing, though Phillips could likely be an NHL Winger.
A strong playoffs in the Q has really helped his stock, as Saint John is on the brink of a championship that would vault them into the Memorial Cup tournament.
While not the flashiest, or most refined prospect to come along, Phillips brings consistency, hard work and a scoring ability that can't be taught. A team will take a strong look at him come June, and could take him in the Top 20.
Taken Previously...
1. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
2. Gabriel Landeskog
3. Jonathan Huberdeau
4. Dougie Hamilton
5. Adam Larsson
6. Sean Couturier
7. Ryan Strome
8. Ryan Murphy
9. Duncan Siemens
10. Mark McNeill
11. Nathan Beaulieu
12. Jamie Oleksiak
13. Mika Zibanejad
14. Joel Armia
15. Mark Scheifele
16. Matt Puempel
17. Brandon Saad
18. Sven Bartschi
19. Joe Morrow
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