On Oct. 28, 2024, the Utah Hockey Membership introduced that ahead Josh Doan was assigned to the Tucson Roadrunners (Utah’s American Hockey League affiliate). Two days earlier than Doan was despatched down (Oct. 26), ahead Kailer Yamamoto cleared waivers and in addition joined the Roadrunners. With the return of ahead Nick Bjugstad, Utah thought despatched the 22-year-old Doan to Tucson in hopes of him receiving extra minutes and creating his recreation. So, it’s time to evaluation the significance of sending down a younger piece to the franchise’s core.
Utah’s Crowded Ahead Core
It’s no secret that Utah’s head coach, André Tourigny, has extra high quality skaters at his disposal than in earlier seasons. Moreover, he has opted to decorate 11 forwards and 7 defensemen previously two video games, which removes one other ahead from the lineup. That being mentioned, Utah forwards Liam O’Brien and Michael Carcone have been wholesome scratches all through its inaugural season.
As for Doan, in 9 video games, he mustered two factors in a primarily third-line function. To begin the season, the Arizona native logged a 13:05 common time on ice per recreation and was a minus-1 with six penalty minutes. Whereas his early-season marketing campaign on the NHL stage hasn’t been spectacular, Tourigny may have been anticipating extra from him after he tallied 9 factors in 11 video games with the Arizona Coyotes final season.
Associated: How the Coyotes Turned Derek Stepan Into Josh Doan
At the moment dressing 11 forwards, the staff’s backside 5 encompass Alexander Kerfoot, Lawson Crouse, Jack McBain, Kevin Stenlund, and Bjugstad. Doan is the youngest skater of the 5 and will play top-line minutes within the AHL as an alternative of enjoying bottom-six minutes on the NHL stage. Why? The Coyotes’ second-round choice in 2021 has but to play a full season for the Roadrunners.
“You possibly can see he didn’t have the identical confidence that he did throughout coaching camp,” Tourigny mentioned following the choice to have Doan again in Tucson. “It was the chance for us to present him the possibility to go play within the AHL, get his confidence again, his recreation again, his swagger again.”
Doan Is the Roadrunners’ Star Participant
With the emergence of defenseman Maveric Lamoureux, the 6-foot-1, 183-pounder has stuffed Lamoureux’s function because the staff’s star participant, potting two objectives in his first two video games in Tucson. In the intervening time, Tucson ahead Egor Sokolov leads the Roadrunners in factors with eight by means of 10 video games.
In 62 video games in Tucson final season, the right-handed shooter scored 26 objectives and added 20 assists for 46 factors whereas additionally main the Roadrunners in whole and power-play objectives. His team-leading 46 factors named him to the 2024 AHL All-Star Basic.
If Doan can replicate his 2023-24 marketing campaign on the AHL stage (to this point, he’s off to a strong begin), he must be again within the NHL this season. Moreover, if accidents or trades have been to happen, this might open up extra alternatives for him to play in Utah once more this season.
Doan Nonetheless Has Room to Develop
Many individuals within the valley have appreciated Doan’s path to the NHL: He grew to become the primary Arizona-born, raised, and skilled participant to decorate for the Coyotes of their season within the desert. Nonetheless, it was going to be tough to translate his early-career success after the staff relocated to Utah. Having to play in a brand new metropolis and area isn’t any straightforward activity for any participant, particularly for a 22-year-old attempting to solidify himself as an on a regular basis NHLer.
In spite of everything, Doan is one in all Utah’s youngest gamers, solely older than Dylan Guenther, Logan Cooley, and Lamoureux (who have been all first-round picks.) It even took ahead Clayton Keller 5 years to high his rookie season’s 65 factors that netted him a third-place end within the Calder Memorial Trophy race. Each hockey participant experiences totally different lengths and phases of improvement. There must be no quick stress on him to get again to the NHL stage with a crowded ahead group.
O’Brien and Carcone Have Extra NHL Expertise
Carcone adopted the same path to the NHL as Doan. The 5-foot-9, 170-pounder led the AHL in scoring with 85 factors in the course of the 2022-23 season. A profitable marketing campaign with the Roadrunners earned him 74 video games on the NHL stage the following season with the Coyotes. Final season, the 28-year-old potted 21 objectives and put ip 29 factors. Sadly for the undrafted participant, with no room in Utah’s high 9, he has solely performed in three video games and has did not register some extent this season. Total, he performed greater than 100 video games in Arizona and has robust goal-scoring capabilities when given top-six and power-play minutes.
Alternatively, O’Brien serves because the staff’s bodily presence when wanted. The 30-year-old racked up 153 penalty minutes final season (probably the most within the NHL). The 6-foot-1, 213-pounder dished out 229 hits final season and supplied a spark when wanted. Equally to Carcone, he has wearing three video games for Utah this season and has no factors.
Will Doan be again up in Utah this season? He may, if he continues to construct off his scorching begin in Tucson. For now, Tucson’s teaching employees should put him in the most effective place to develop within the AHL.
