Dylan Guenther will remain with the Arizona Coyotes past nine games
Arizona Coyotes rookie Dylan Guenther will remain in the National Hockey League and play his 10th game of the 2022–23 season on Saturday evening.
The first year of Guenther’s entry-level contract will officially come into effect when he takes to the ice for the Coyotes’ road matchup with the Washington Capitals at 7:00 p.m. ET.
“He has earned it with his play,” Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong told PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan on Saturday. Guenther has two goals and six points in nine games with the 3–6–1 Coyotes this season.
Coyotes head coach André Tourigny invited Guenther’s family onto a video conference in the team’s road dressing room in Washington to help deliver the news to the 19-year-old forward on Saturday morning.
This is one of those great days.
Dylan Guenther's family got to deliver the news that he's staying in the NHL. 🥰 pic.twitter.com/feMHWWmZRq
The Coyotes originally selected Guenther in the first round (No. 9 overall) of the 2021 NHL Draft. Arizona previously acquired the Guenther pick from the Vancouver Canucks in July 2021 as part of the blockbuster deal involving Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Conor Garland.
Had the Coyotes elected to send Guenther back to junior, he would have been eligible to report to the Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Hockey League. The Oil Kings reached the Memorial Cup last season but are off to a 2–12–1 start this year and might have looked to trade Guenther, had he returned.
Guenther, a 6’2″ right wing, scored his first NHL goal against the Ottawa Senators on Oct. 22 and recorded a pair of assists against the New York Rangers eight days later.
His first and it is a beauty. 😍 pic.twitter.com/NvlHZZEIb9
— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) October 22, 2022Through the first leg of the season, Guenther — part of a new wave of young talent in the desert — currently ranks fifth on the Coyotes in scoring (behind Clayton Keller, Shayne Gostisbehere, Lawson Crouse, and fellow rookie Matias Maccelli).
Guenther’s entry-level contract carries an NHL base salary of $832,500 with up to an additional $850,000 in performance bonuses. He also received a $92,500 signing bonus earlier this year.
The Coyotes are set to embark upon a 14-game road swing as they wait for the new NHL-standard facilities at Mullett Arena to be completed. They’ll finally return home on Dec. 9 to welcome the Boston Bruins to ASU.