Coyotes Draft Strome & Merkley in First Round
With the third overall pick in the National Hockey League Draft, the Arizona Coyotes select Dylan Strome.
Dylan Strome, an 18-year-old center out of Ontario, has played two seasons with the Erie Otters, of the Ontario Hockey League. Strome played along side first overall pick, Connor McDavid, with the Otters. Last season Strome won the OHL’s scoring title with 129 points, with 45 goals and 84 assists. Strome also played on the team Canada, in the Ivan Hlinka tournament, where they won gold.
Strome is a strong center, who stands at six-three and is compared to Ryan Getzlaf. He has many of the same characteristics as the Anaheim Ducks great center man. Strome has a great offensive mind and has the potential to be a cornerstone for the Coyotes. He can shoot the puck very well, but needs to develop better skating technique in order to be successful in the NHL.
Jun 26, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; Dylan Strome poses for a photo after being selected as the number three overall pick to the Arizona Coyotes in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Ryan Strome, Dylan’s older brother and New York Islanders forward, has been a big influence on Dylan. He comes from a family of hockey player, so his hockey blood runs deep. His younger brother was drafted in the first round of the OHL Draft.
Most likely Strome will not be starting for the Coyotes in the 2015-2016 season, because of the depth of the center position. The Coyotes currently have six centers on their roster including Martin Hanzal, Mark Arcobello, Kyle Chipchura, Sam Ganger, Joe Vitale, and Henrik Samuelsson.
It was one of the Coyotes most anticipated pick in Coyotes franchise history, and with this pick the Coyotes got one of the best centers in the Ontario Hockey League.
The Arizona Coyotes had two picks in the first round, and with the 30th overall pick in the NHL Draft they selected Nick Merkley.
Merkley is a forward out of Calgary, playing in the Western Hockey League with the Kelowna Rockets. With the Rockets he scored 20 goals, with 70 assists. Merkley also participated in the Hlinka tournament, where he helped Canada with four assists.
Merkley is a natural scorer and being productive in his many playoff appearances. Merkley has a high hockey-IQ, with great foot speed and decision-making. Merkley will bring a combination of skills, smarts and great work ethic to a very young and talented Coyotes team in the near future.
Jun 26, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; Gabriel Carlsson poses with team officials after being selected as the number twenty-nine overall pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
The Arizona Coyotes future is very bright as they get two phenomenal players in the first round. The NHL Draft continues Saturday at 7am PT on NHL Network.