Barrett Hayton

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