The NHL 15: Logan Cooley could be the star Utah needs

Whether it has been in Arizona or Utah, this franchise needs a superstar. It might finally have it.

Before each NHL season I look at 15 players that I think are the most intriguing players in the NHL. Not necessarily the best players (though, sometimes they are), but players that offer some sort of intrigue, a big storyline or figure to be a major X-factor for the season. This is The NHL 15. We continue (and conclude the series) today with Utah Mammoth forward Logan Cooley, who could be the superstar the franchise has long needed.

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Before relocating to Utah prior to the 2024-25 season, the Arizona Coyotes franchise had been stuck in a massive rut. Ownership was a mess. The arena situation was a mess. The roster was not particularly good. Despite having a couple of good players sprinkled in throughout the lineup, it was consistently lacking difference-making players.

There was no dude here. Just a bunch of guys.

Part of that was due to the finances of the franchise and its inability to attract/keep that level of player.

Part of it was due to player evaluation and management and not necessarily picking the right players.

Another part of it was a frustrating lack of luck in the draft lottery.

For as much as the team struggled on a year-to-year basis, and for as bad as it consistently was at times, it also never really had much lottery luck and would consistently fall into the No. 3 through No. 10 range in the draft. You can still get good players there. You can still find an occasional superstar there. It is just a little more difficult and requires a bit more luck.

The worst-stroke of lottery luck had to be in 2015 when the Coyotes finished with the NHL’s second-worst record (by only two points) and dropped from the No. 2 pick to the No. 3 pick.

That was the Connor McDavid-Jack Eichel year.

Arizona ended up with Dylan Strome at No. 3 (who they picked over Mitch Marner).

While Strome eventually developed into a strong player for the Washington Capitals, he is objectively the worst of the top-four picks from that year and the only one that never really became a star. He’s good, and that’s his ceiling.

As we discussed with Jack Hughes and the New Jersey Devils, one of the main ingredients a contending team needs is some kind of top-tier, superstar level player that can change a game, change a playoff series and draw constant attention from opposing teams. Even when the Coyotes franchise found its random spurts of success over the years, it never really had the type of difference-makers that could make them a serious contender.

Since the franchise relocated from Winnipeg to Arizona in 1996, and including last year’s first full season in Utah following its latest relocation, there has only been one 90-point season for the franchise. It was Clayton Keller’s 90 points in 2024-25 in Utah.

There have only been two other 80-point seasons (one for Keller in 2022-23 and another for Keith Tkachuk in 1996-97).

Even 70 points has been rare, as the mark has only been topped 11 times (including Keller in 2024-25).

Asking for 70 points from at least one player in a season is not asking a lot, and this franchise has rarely been able to see even that.

It is really hard to win like that. Almost impossible if we are being honest.

That brings us to the player that could help change that for the Mammoth — Logan Cooley. He took a big leap forward for Utah in 2024-25 going from year one to year two, and he looks poised for an even bigger leap this this season.

Let’s talk about it.