The Arizona Coyotes recently held rookie and non-roster invitee camp. Several organizational prospects featured in the Rookie Faceoff Tournament for young players contracted to the Colorado Avalanche, the Anaheim Ducks, the Los Angeles Kings, the Vegas Golden Knights, and the San Jose Sharks.

In this two-part series, NEVN Coyotes writers James Mackey and Sarah Hall will showcase ten of the organization’s top prospects, five at a time, across two weeks.

Ninth overall pick Dylan Guenther leads the way in this week’s installment, as well as forwards Matias Maccelli and Ryan McGregor, alongside defenceman Janis Moser and goaltender David Tendeck.

After a scandal cost the Coyotes their first round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, general manager Bill Armstrong sent captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson to Vancouver. This move put the Coyotes back in the top 10, and the franchise used the Vancouver pick to draft Edmonton Oil Kings alternate captain Guenther.

Guenther, a six-foot-one forward from the Western Hockey League, displays a wicked shot and a keen eye to move the puck efficiently around the ice. He can also win puck battles to keep the play alive. 

During his 2020/21 season in the WHL, Guenther accumulated 24 points, evenly split between 12 goals and 12 assists. Guenther also represented his native Canada in the World Junior Championship, where he racked up seven points in as many games, scoring four goals and providing three assists.

Gunether will be assigned to the Oil Kings this season, with an eye toward bringing him to the Valley after another season in Edmonton.

Matias Maccelli was a fourth-round pick in 2019, and he has played his past two seasons with lIves in the Finnish Liiga. He accrued 69 points across 94 games, with 28 goals and 41 assists. Maccelli showcases great vision on the ice, applicable to both passing and shooting lanes. 

Ryan McGregor, originally a 2016 pick by the Toronto Maple Leafs, signed an entry-level contract with the Coyotes in March 2021. McGregor has shown an ability to win important puck battles and create plays on both ends. He will play his second consecutive season with the American Hockey League’s Tucson Roadrunners in 2021. Last season, he netted 18 points in 36 games, registering four goals and 14 assists. 

Defenceman Janis Moser is a left-handed shout out of Biel-Bienne in his native Switzerland. He played four seasons there, and he recorded 47 points with 11 goals and 36 assists in this time. Moser is slated to bring his strong defensive reads and ability to slow down opposition breakouts to Tucson this year.

In camp, goaltender David Tendeck showed many different elements to his play. Most prominent was his  puck-reading skill, as well as adjusting to the play as it developed before him. He has also shown an ability to adjust to shots quickly.

Tendeck appeared in 27 games for the organization’s East Coast Hockey League affiliate, the Rapid City Rush. While there, he racked up a 2.78 goals against average and a .909 save percentage with an 11-14-0 record. Tendeck was selected from the Vancouver Giants of the WHL, where he played five seasons. He finished with a .905 save percentage and a 2.96 GAA, as well as an overall 72-54-10 record in the high-scoring league.

From here, the Roadrunners continue preparations for their early season road trip to Stockton, Calif., for a doubleheader with the Heat. The Coyotes continue preseason action ahead of the season opener in Columbus against the Blue Jackets.