Barrett Hayton

There weren't a whole lot of positives to take from Arizona's dreary 2022-23 campaign, but Hayton's progress was one of them. He went from recording 10 goals and 24 points in 60 contests in 2021-22 to 19 goals and 43 points in 82 games last season. Hayton also played with a bit of an edge, recording 42 PIM and 83 hits last year, and he took advantage of his significant power-play role to record 10 points (four goals) with the man advantage. Taken with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, the 23-year-old should have some untapped upside left in him, and he might flirt with the 50-point mark this season.

Hayton has been around for seemingly ever, but last year was actually his first full NHL season and he played the entire year at age 21. When you consider his youth and the fact he played for one of the worst teams in the league, Hayton's 10 goals and 24 points in 60 games don't seem all that bad. He missed about a month in the middle of the year due to a hand injury but was otherwise healthy. There's a pretty decent chance Hayton will never prove to be worthy of the No. 5 overall pick the Coyotes spent on him in 2018, but he clearly has some talent and should be given every chance at significant playing time on a team which is years from legitimate playoff contention.

After playing 20 NHL games as a 19-year-old two seasons ago, Hayton saw action in just 14 games last year. He has yet to produce offensively at the highest level, posting just three goals and seven points in those 34 games. In Arizona's defense, they felt Hayton would be best served playing top minutes in the AHL as opposed to a depth role in the NHL and they were probably correct. There's upside here, but the early returns on Hayton, the No. 5 overall pick in 2018, aren't great. He's a candidate for a change-of-scenery trade if he doesn't find his game this coming year.

Hayton is expected to make the full-time jump to the NHL in 2020-21 after posting four points and 27 shots in 20 appearances last year. The Coyotes' first-round pick from 2018, Hayton suffered a shoulder injury playing for Team Canada during the World Juniors tournament last winter, which ultimately cost him more than a month of action with the big club. The 20-year-old center will likely start the campaign in a bottom-six role, but his talent level suggests he could move up the lineup quickly, potentially displacing Derek Stepan on Arizona's second line. The Coyotes have rarely been known for posting large scoring totals, so expect Hayton to land between 20 and 30 points with modest power-play usage and some physicality as a bonus.

Hayton's NHL stay did not last long in 2018-19, as he was scratched for two games before returning to OHL Sault Ste. Marie. As the captain of the junior squad, he registered 26 goals and 66 points in 39 regular-season contests and another 16 in 11 in the OHL playoffs. Hayton also represented Canada at the World Junior Championship, posting four helpers in five games. The two-way center has nothing left to prove at the junior level and will likely see time either with the Coyotes or at AHL Tucson.

Arizona addressed its need for a center by selecting Hayton fifth overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. In the words of Coyotes GM John Chayka, the prized prospect is “the guy you think you can build your team around.” While Hayton -- who's drawn comparisons to four-time Selke Trophy winner Patrice Bergeron of the Bruins -- accumulated 110 points (regular season and playoffs) for OHL Sault Ste. Marie over the past two seasons, he's not expected to hit the big stage in 2018-19. He does, however, check out as an intriguing dynasty-league stash