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NHL 2019 Stanley Cup Champs: Jets or Coyotes?

By William McCaffrey |

I recently read a Hockey News article that stated the Winnipeg Jets would be the NHL’s 2019 Stanley Cup Champions. That’s right 2019! Out of all 30 teams in the league how did they come to the conclusion the Jets?

For those who don’t follow Winnipeg, they boast one of the deepest minor league systems across the league. The Jets lay claim to highly rated talents like Nikolaj Ehlers (the Danish Sensation), Nicolas Petan, Joshua Morrissey, Eric Comrie, Joel Armia, Brendan Lemieux and Connor Hellebuyck to name a few.

While I can agree the list of prospects on paper is impressive to say the least, I’d like to throw another candidate into the mix. The Arizona Coyotes!

I know what you all are thinking, this guy is crazy, the Coyotes? The same team fighting to stay in Arizona? Yes the Arizona Coyotes.

If the Hockey News and Sportsnet both want to predict the NHL Stanley Cup winner for 2019 based on minor league systems, than Arizona has one very close in talent to the Jets.

Nont may follow Arizona, other than for their off-ice issues. Don Maloney and his staff have done a great job matching strength with other elite team’s farm systems. When moving Keith Yandle to the Rangers and acquiring Anthony Duclair in return, it opened up some room on the back end to allow defenseman Philip Samuelsson to join the big squad this year.

The trade with the Rangers was key as it re-unites Max Domi and Anthony Duclair, who comprised 2/3 of the best line in this past World Junior Hockey Championships for Gold Medalists Canada.

At the draft in Florida this past July the most sought-after prospect was the proclaimed “Future Gretzky,” Connor McDavid. With McDavid being the obvious 1st pick overall and out of reach for the Coyotes, GM Maloney was able to push Arizona further in the right direction by drafting McDavid’s right-hand-man Dylan Strome. 

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Adding these four incredible talents along with newly drafted Christian Dvorak to a roster with names like Gormley, Vermette, Boedker, Ekman-Larsson, Hanzal, Reider, Doan and Stone legitimately place Arizona as rivals to Winnipeg’s “Throne.”

From one farm system to the next, they are all built to what the organization needs. There are many teams with very talented minor league systems, but they are only strong on paper. Until we can truly see how they transition to the big stage it is too hard to really judge a team’s strength.

I truly believe that both Jets and Coyotes fans should be very excited about what their futures hold, however, manage the expectations and simply enjoy the talent that will be displayed before you. The NHL is in good hands!

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