2 Arizona Coyotes Prospects Who Could Get Called Up This Season

As the season gets underway, players will begin to suffer injuries as they sacrifice their bodies for the sake of their team, not to mention the ever-present concern of a positive Covid diagnosis. Eventually, there will be players who will need to miss games, and others will need to be called in to replace them in the lineup. Here are two such prospects who could see some playing time on the Arizona Coyotes this season.

Matias Maccelli

It's always exciting when a prospect takes a huge step the season they turn pro. That's the case for Matias Maccelli, a 4th-round pick from 2019 who made the jump to the AHL this year. The 21-year old Finnish winger is currently leading the Tucson Roadrunners in scoring with 6 goals and 18 points in his first 16 pro hockey games. Considering he made the jump from Liiga, it's even more impressive how quickly Maccelli adapted to the North American ice. The most noticeable change in his game, however, is his skating. Leaps and bounds better than he was at the time of his draft, Maccelli now boasts some seriously intimidating wheels. He's been showing it off all season in the AHL, blowing past defenders and getting himself alone in front of the opposing goalie. Once he's there, the soft hands and accurate shooting that got him drafted in the first place go on display, and he becomes a very difficult player to handle. The first goal of his hat trick game against the Ontario Reign in November showcases all of these factors, but all three are a testament to how well his game has come together. This kid is one Coyotes' injury away from getting a look in the NHL.

1st, 2nd, AND 3rd goals of the year for Matias Maccelli, marking his first American Hockey League hat trick 🎩 🎩 🎩@RoadrunnersAHL | #ONTvsTUC pic.twitter.com/Q2J3qHw8aC

— American Hockey League (@TheAHL) November 13, 2021

Jan Jenik

It's a bit of a different story with Jan Jenik, who has already had a pair of looks at the NHL level, albeit for just 4 total games. A 3rd-round selection in 2018, was putting up 22 goals and 56 points in 27 games with the OHL's Hamilton Bulldogs and was starting to turn some heads by his Draft+2 season. After a loan to the Finnish Mestis league last fall, Jenik made his way over to the AHL last season, and eventually joined the Coyotes in May for a couple of games, scoring 2 goals while he was there. This season he got an equivalent look of 2 NHL games but produced no points. After returning to the AHL, he's managed 4 goals and 9 points in 13 games, a vast improvement over the 14 total points he managed in 29 games last season. That's the kind of steady developmental progress you want to see from a prospect who doesn't stick in the NHL right out of the gate. After going down to Tucson and solidifying his game, Janik has a good chance of being called back up later this season, and although Maccelli has a leg up on him in terms of point production, Janik can play centre. That, combined with having his "first game jitters" out of the way, makes him just as likely of a call-up option.

Photo credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports