Possible twist: Logan Cooley made available for free for Kent Hughes and other NHL executives?

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Elias Adaime
May 18, 2023 (7:52 PM)

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It's a story that has sparked a lot of reactions over the last few hours, as the father of the best player of the Arizona Coyotes, Clayton Keller, made a shocking post on social media.

The message has since been deleted, for obvious reasons, but it's too late.

Keller's father, Bryan, wrote this:

"Keller won't be there at the start of the season and expect others [players] to follow suit and leave the team (or not sign). The team will move, there is no other option and Phoenix will regret having lost a professional team."

Following this statement, fans started to show interest in another player apart from Keller: Logan Cooley.

Cooley, the team's third overall pick in the most recent NHL draft, and possibly the best player of the 2022 class, is still not under contract with the team.

Cooley plays in the NCAA, and he holds his own destiny in his hands.

If he wishes, he could, just like Adam Fox did with the Calgary Flames, decide not to sign with the Arizona Coyotes and make himself available for free to the other 31 teams.

He could sign wherever he wants, like Kevin Hayes did as a first-round pick.

This is an unlikely scenario, but not completely unrealistic.

After all, one could understand the young player not wanting to sign with the current troubled and uncertain situation that the Coyotes represent.

And after Keller's statement, many are asking this. When he talks about other players who might decide not to sign, is he talking about Cooley?

After all, the latter seems to have an excellent relationship with the young Clayton Keller.

This is certainly a big issue to keep in mind.

Cooley, 19 years old, was drafted third overall in 2022 by the Arizona Coyotes. He has racked up an incredible 60 points, including 22 goals, in 39 games this season with the University of Minnesota.

If he becomes as free as the wind, do you believe Kent Hughes and the Montreal Canadiens should do everything to get him? Do you think that the fact that he was almost drafted by the Habs last June could help?