When the Arizona Coyotes entered the 2022 NHL Draft, there was an agenda: find a franchise player. Of course, the unpredictability of the draft lottery blazed bright as general manager Bill Armstrong and the scouts had to adjust from drafting to what would’ve been two and then fell back to three. They then took Pittsburgh native Logan Cooley, who thus far has shown why he was worth every ounce of that pick.
They then took Conor Geekie (who was recently dealt to the Tampa Bay Lightning for defenseman Mikhail Sergachev) and Maveric Lamoureux later on. Entering Day 2, adding more depth and shoring up the defense was vital, as it’s always been an area the Coyotes had struggled with. With big names still on the board, they went far east to Russia, taking Artyom Duda, a 6-foot-1 defenseman from Moskova.
Initially, not much was known about Duda, and for good reason. Most of the games in Russia are extremely difficult to catch live, let alone highlights. Since he was drafted to the Grand Canyon State, he has had a bumpy road, to say the least. This season, he’s expected to take the American Hockey League (AHL) head-on, which should finally let him showcase his talents and abilities to the Utah fanbase.
Duda’s Development Path Thus Far Unlike Any Other
When it comes to developing prospects, it’s always nice to keep a close eye on each one. That is easy for players in the NCAA, United States Hockey League (USHL), and even Western Hockey League (WHL); it’s within close proximity, and scouts are plentiful at junior games. However, when it comes to players overseas in Russia, it can be quite complex. Firstly, Russia is in the midst of a war with Ukraine, and secondly, it’s hard to get scouts in there to watch players and so on.
Thus, it was hard to track his development path. Last summer, however, he moved to the United States to further his hockey career at the University of Maine, which has been known to house everyday NHLers. That said, he played 14 games in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) the season before with CSKA Moskva. There were concerns that those games might affect his eligibility. As it turns out, it certainly did jeopardize his eligibility, as he was denied not once, not twice, but three times by the NCAA, which meant he had to look at different avenues.
His agent, Mark Gandler, and Duda then decided the best course of action was to take his skates to TMU (Toronto Metro University), where he played just 12 games and six playoff games. While TMU wasn’t facing the talent he would’ve if he had been at the University of Maine, he was finally playing hockey, and at that juncture, that’s all that mattered. With Duda signing his entry-level contract with Utah, he’ll hit the ice in Tucson in 2024-25 with high expectations.
AHL the Correct Path for Duda’s Career
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a development league for players like Duda; his situation is unique. That being said, the development he’ll be getting this season will surpass what he’s gotten the past year or even two, especially under Roadrunners head coach Steve Potvin, who has been praised for his work so far with the Roadrunners. Take Dylan Guenther and Josh Doan as examples, two guys who were under Potvin and saw mountains of success during the 2023-24 season with the Coyotes.
For Duda’s sake, he will likely be in the AHL for the entire 2024-25 season, as it will likely take him some time to become accustomed to the system and the players. Being from Russia, English isn’t his first language, so easing him in and not putting immediate pressure on the second-round pick will be vital to his success.
Duda will be one of the many prospects to keep an eye on, and it’ll be exciting to see how he does this season, especially considering how lackluster the Coyotes’ blue line has been in recent history.
Roadrunners Head Coach Steve Potvin Has Hidden Gem in Duda
Of course, Duda’s situation has been interesting since he was drafted in 2022, and it’s quite unlike any other development path from a prospect in recent memory. However, Potvin, who has seen plenty of talent flow through the Roadrunners, has Duda, who has an extremely high ceiling. Defensem*n nowadays take longer to develop, and that’ll likely be the case with Duda, but with some seasoning down the I-10 in Tucson, he has a chance to grow under Potvin and the rest of the Roadrunners.
This article first appeared on The Hockey Writers and was syndicated with permission.
