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The Tucson Roadrunners are in a battle to secure home-ice advantage in the first round of the AHL playoffs. While the Coachella Valley Firebirds have nearly locked up the Pacific Division title and a first-round bye, Tucson is in a tightly-packed group of six teams jockeying for position for the final six postseason spots from the division.
The top three in that group will earn home ice.
“We want to be able to play in front of our fans,” Roadrunners coach Steve Potvin said. “They deserve it; the people that support us and care for us and really show up every night. It inspires us to play well and to be better.”
After a 3-1 win in San José on Saturday, the Roadrunners were in second place in the division with 11 games remaining in the regular season. However this plays out, Tucson will be in the postseason. That certainty affords Coyotes fans an opportunity to glimpse the future, while enjoying postseason play that has been noticeably lacking for the past dozen years in the Valley.
With that in mind, here’s a look at the players who could bolster the Roadrunners playoff roster after their own seasons have ended.
While we’re at it, we have also included a look at the glut of prospects who could join the Roadrunners next season, making the 2024-25 season one in which fans will finally be able to get a good look at the future of the Coyotes franchise.
One final note: The PHNX Coyotes crew will broadcast a live postgame show from Tucson Arena on April 20 after the Roadrunners’ season finale against the San José Barracuda at 7 p.m. We’ll pass along details soon, but we are hoping to include a meet-up beforehand.
F Dylan Guenther: Guenther was leading the Roadrunners in goals (10) and points (28 in 29 games) before his Coyotes call-up on Jan. 5. Since his recall, Guenther has 11 goals and 22 points in 33 games for the Coyotes (a 27-goal, 54-point pace). The Coyotes completed the paper-transaction requirement by assigning Guenther to the Roadrunners by the March 1 NHL trade deadline. That makes him eligible for the AHL postseason and he is expected to play.
D Michael Kesselring: The Coyotes also assigned Kesselring to the Roadrunners by the March 1 NHL trade deadline, making him eligible for the AHL postseason. He is also expected to play. Kesselring has five goals and 15 points in 53 games for the Coyotes. He also has the second best plus-minus rating on the team (plus-5).
C Conor Geekie: Geekie reached the 99-point mark on Friday and sits third in the WHL in points per game (1.815). Because he has already signed his entry-level contract with the Coyotes, Geekie is eligible to compete for Tucson once his postseason has ended with Swift Current. That said, Swift Current leads the Central Division. The Broncos could make a deep playoff run. The WHL regular season ends on April 9; 11 days before the AHL season ends.
Not joining: D Maveric Lamoureux: Lamoureux has struggled with some injuries this season. The plan is for him to heal up and then roll right into training.
The Coyotes management staff has talked for the past couple years about the tipping point at which a glut of prospects could or will enter the pro ranks. The 2024-25 season appears to be that tipping point. Here’s a look at the players who could or are expected to be in Tucson next season.
C Conor Geekie and D Maveric Lamoureux: The third full season in the WHL and QMJHL, respectively are expected to be the last for the 2022 first-round picks. Both will be given the opportunity to win NHL roster spots in camp, but the more prudent move may be to start them in the AHL; a move that greatly benefited Guenther’s game this season.
D Artem Duda: Barring any issues, Duda’s contract in Russia is set to expire after the KHL season ends this spring (May 1). The Coyotes hope to sign him to an entry-level contract and insert him into the Roadrunners lineup. After his University of Maine debacle, Duda, 19, played well in his one semester at Toronto Metropolitan University, posting four goals and 13 points in 21 games while logging big minutes. TMU made it to the semifinals of the 2024 U SPORTS University Cup.
F Sam Lipkin: Quinnipiac fell to St. Lawrence in the ECAC tournament semifinals on Friday, but the regular-season champs (No. 9 in the PairWise rankings) will still have the chance to defend their national championship when the NCAA Tournament begins next week. After that, it will be decision time for Lipkin, 21, on whether to turn pro or spend one more season in Connecticut.
F Julian Lutz: Lutz, 20, is having a terrific season for Green Bay in the USHL. He has 21 goals and 57 points (tied for 14th) in 42 games. The quandary for the Coyotes is this: It’s a big jump from the USHL to the AHL. There is a chance they will still ask Lutz to make that jump but there is also the possibility that they will ask him to play one more pro season back in Germany for his development before coming to Tucson.
D Jérémy Langlois: Langlois is putting up big numbers with Rouyn-Noranda. His 17 goals and 62 points in 61 games are both second among QMJHL defensemen, but the feeling is that the other parts of his game have not progressed to the point where the Coyotes are ready to sign him to an ELC. That said, they could offer him an AHL contract and a chance to prove himself. The Coyotes’ draft rights to Langlois expire on June 1.
G Rasmus Korhonen and G Anson Thornton: At least one of these goalies will be in the ECHL next season to give him the chance to play a lot of games. The Coyotes hope to re-sign Matt Villalta as the starter in Tucson so there would only be a backup role available at the start of the season. There is a chance that the Coyotes could sign a free agent to serve that role and then place both of these goalies with separate teams in the ECHL. Korhonen is currently playing for Jukurit in the Finnish Liiga. Thornton is with Reading in the ECHL.
Top photo of Dylan Guenther scoring the OT winner against Seattle on Friday via Getty Images
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