Forward Dylan Guenther was called up by the Arizona Coyotes from their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners, on January 6, 2024. Following forward Jason Zucker’s suspension, a short-term call-up for Guenther was announced, leading to the recall. But after being called up, he never looked back, and he played with the Coyotes for the rest of the regular season. The right-handed shooter recorded 18 goals and 17 assists for 35 points in 45 NHL games the previous season. What factors contributed to the 21-year-old’s successful season for the Utah Hockey Club?
Guenther would never have joined the Coyotes if there hadn’t been a trade on draft day in 2021. Arizona’s offseason rebuilding began on July 23, 2021. In exchange for three ageing bottom-six players, two additional draft picks, and the ninth pick in the first round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, they shipped defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and winger Connor Garland to the Vancouver Canucks. The Coyotes selected Guenther from the Western Hockey League (WHL) Edmonton Oil Kings with the ninth overall pick.
In 59 games during his final campaign with the Oil Kings (2021–2022), he scored 91 points. He was able to secure a position on the Coyotes squad for the 2022–2023 season thanks to his outstanding season in Edmonton. Guenther scored 15 points in 33 games throughout that season. Arizona was in the process of rebuilding at the time and was hoping for more from its first-round pick. As a result, he returned to the WHL with the Seattle Thunderbirds to finish the season. In 20 games in Seattle, he scored 29 points and won the Ed Chynoweth Cup twice in a row.
Guenther was not allowed to play a top-six role for the Coyotes at the beginning of Arizona’s final NHL season. Rookie Logan Cooley centred Matias Maccelli and Zucker on line two, while Barrett Hayton centred Keller and Schmaltz on line one. Consequently, the Coyotes’ management believed it would be ideal for him to begin the season in the AHL with the Roadrunners. Even though he may have found the start of the season in Tucson disappointing, he led them in scoring with 28 points through 29 games. In addition, he and goalkeeper Matthew Villalta were selected to play for the Roadrunners in the AHL All-Star Classic in 2024.
Guenther scored three points in his first two NHL games back after being called up. The Coyotes began a 14-game losing streak (0-12-2 during that time) shortly after he was called up. On March 1, 2024, he ended their losing streak against the Ottawa Senators by netting the game-winning powerplay goal in the third frame. The next game, against the Capitals, he improved on his two-point showing in Ottawa with a three-point night.
But the game against the Canucks on April 10, 2024, was the greatest of his early career. Guenther was involved in all four of Arizona’s goals in their 4–3 victory at Vancouver. He recorded one goal and three assists on his 21st birthday. His third assist of the evening set up Cooley for the game-winning back-door tap-in in overtime.
He’s scored eight points in his last four Coyotes games. André Tourigny, the head coach of Arizona, was happy with his offensive output during the previous campaign as well as other aspects of the game.
Tourigny remarked, “Everyone talks about his shooting; okay, it’s obvious.” But he’s got a nice stick. He had a superb reading of the piece. He excels at playing within his comfort zone. He always sees two plays ahead of schedule and sees the play before it occurs. He goes quickly when playing offence, forechecking and using his feet. He moves swiftly through the neutral zone and immediately discerns his alternatives.
