Canada’s Max Domi celebrates after scoring the fifth goal against the United during the third period of a round-robin game at the world junior ice hockey championship Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2014, in Montreal. Canada won 5-3. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Ryan Remiorz)
BY JEFFREY SANDERS | Arizona Sports
The Arizona Coyotes are just 10 days away from rookies reporting for the start of training camp at Gila River Arena.
It will be the beginning for rookies Max Domi and Anthony Duclair, two players expected to make a big impact on the 2015-16 team.
Domi was the Coyotes first round pick in 2013 and is the son of former NHL player Tie Domi, while Duclair was the key component coming to Arizona from New York in the Keith Yandle trade.
Duclair played briefly with the Rangers last season while Domi has yet to make his NHL debut.
While both players are expected to help the offense score some goals this season, it’s Domi who is getting mentioned as a possible Calder Trophy candidate around the league.
Toronto Sun’s Michael Traikos threw Domi’s name into the ring of potential rookies in line to steal the award away from Connor McDavid.
Arizona’s Max Domi, who was selected 13th overall in 2013, is two years older than McDavid and could be the offensive centrepiece on a weak Coyotes team.
The Calder Trophy is given to the NHL’s rookie of the year and this year’s class is already being compared to the 2005-06 class that featured Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin.
This year’s rookie class is headlined by McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers and Jack Eichel of the Buffalo Sabres, the top two picks in the 2015 NHL Draft.
Traikos thinks that Domi has a potential chance to steal the Calder away from one of the two heavy favorites due to his expected offensive presence for a Coyotes team that is expecting it this season.
Domi, ESPN’s 12th ranked prospect, has scored 32 goals or more in the last three seasons for his London Knights team in juniors of the OHL, including a 102 point effort in 57 games last season.
The 20-year-old has his sights on one thing at a time, as he told the Arizona Coyotes official website last week, he is just focused on making the team.
“I just want to make the team,” Domi said this week after an informal skate with other Coyotes in Scottsdale. “I’m not looking too far ahead. There’s a lot of young guys here that are trying to come in and earn a spot, too.”
A Calder Trophy may be a long shot with the stiff competition, but Domi certainly has the talent and skill-set to compete for the Coyotes first Calder winner since moving from Winnipeg.