Logan Cooley has set some lofty expectations for his rookie season

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Matt Garland
October 15, 2023 (2:10 PM)

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The Arizona Coyotes open their regular season tonight when they face the New Jersey Devils. It will be the debut of their much anticipated prospect Logan Cooley.

Cooley introduced himself to the hockey world during the NHL Global Series in Melbourne, Australia. He scored the most electrifying goal of the year so far, even if it was only preseason.

Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard is the betting favorite to win the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year, with Cooley holding the second-best odds.

The 3rd overall pick from 2022 shared his high expectations of himself for this season.

«I'm super competitive,» he said. «I've always had high expectations for myself going to the hockey rink. I want to help this team win as many games as possible. I want to contribute to the team in any way possible, but yeah, I do want to put up big numbers, I do want to compete every night and I want to win the Calder Trophy. The reason I turned pro is because I felt ready to take the next step and I'm confident in my abilities to do those things that I want to accomplish this year.»

Arizona has only made the playoffs once since 2013, losing in the first round during the 2019-20 season. While the roster looks more competitive going into the season, the playoffs might be asking a bit much.

The Coyotes are beginning to build a very nice young core led by Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, Barret Hayton, and now Logan Cooley. If they continue to develop like they are, it shouldn't be long before the Coyotes are back in the playoffs.