To begin our 2023 fantasy hockey sleepers series, we will focus on the Arizona Coyotes. They can be easy to overlook as a rebuilding, small market team. However, that does not mean that they do not have talent. As you get deeper into your fantasy drafts, there are sleepers on their roster who you should seriously consider taking a shot on. Let’s go over four sleepers from the Coyotes worth considering now.
Arizona Coyotes Sleepers for 2023-24 Fantasy Hockey
Logan Cooley
Excitement is in the air of Arizona for Logan Cooley’s arrival. The 2022 third-overall pick signed his entry-level contract earlier this summer and is ready to begin his professional career. He has endless potential and the tools to become an NHL star. The real question is whether or not he will make an immediate impact for the Coyotes this season. This may lead some fantasy players to avoid drafting him, but there are several reasons you should.
First, Cooley dominated as a freshman last season with the University of Minnesota, posting 22 goals and 60 points in just 39 games. As a result, it is hard to believe that he can’t translate some of this to the NHL immediately. He is also expected to have a significant role with the Coyotes this season due to their weak center depth. He will also see a plethora of power-play minutes, so he has a real shot of making a big difference immediately. Thus, do not hesitate to take a shot at him in your draft.
Dylan Guenther
Although Cooley is naturally garnering a lot of attention from Coyotes fans, Dylan Guenther should not be overlooked. The 2021 ninth-overall pick is a clear breakout candidate for the Coyotes this season. He performed well as a rookie last season with the Coyotes, posting six goals and 15 points in 33 games. Although he was sent back to junior halfway through the season, he should have zero trouble sticking around with the NHL squad this time around.
Although the Coyotes made several forward additions to their roster this season, Guenther is likely to receive middle-six minutes at least. When noting that he has the tools to become a scoring top-six forward in this league, the Coyotes are going to put him in situations to succeed. Due to this, he should take off in 2023-24, and you should snag him in the later rounds.
Sean Durzi
The Coyotes made an intriguing splash earlier this summer, acquiring Sean Durzi from the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings’ surplus of right-shot defensemen made him expendable, but now he will have a much bigger role with the Coyotes. This is because the Coyotes’ defensive depth is not impressive, and he is one of their best defensemen. This increased ice time and responsibility could be enough for Durzi to have a breakout season as a Coyote.
That’s not to say that Durzi has not had success, however. After an impressive rookie campaign in 2021-22, he took a notable step forward this past season, setting new career highs in goals (9), assists (29), and points (38) in 72 games. With numbers like these, it is clear that he has the tools to become a legitimate top-four offensive defenseman. With this move to the Coyotes, he should take another step forward to becoming. Thus, do not be afraid to take the 24-year-old in your draft.
J.J. Moser
J.J. Moser is a deep sleeper on the Coyotes who deserves more recognition around the hockey world. The 23-year-old has quietly emerged as one of the Coyotes’ top defensemen, but he does not get talked about too often by opposing fans. However, when looking at his 2022-23 season, things need to change on that front. In 82 games, he had seven goals, 24 assists, and 31 points – all new career highs. This is something that he should build off of in 2023-24.
Moser’s effective two-way game will result in him receiving both power-play and penalty kill time this season. This increased role should be exactly what he needs to take another step forward in his development. Due to this, fantasy players need to be more aware of Moser and take a chance on him once they have their stars picked.
Nevertheless, there are some solid sleepers from the Coyotes who you should seriously consider snagging in your draft. It will be intriguing to see how well this quartet performs for the Coyotes this season from here.