Domi injury creates opportunity for young Coyotes

With injury comes opportunity.

The Arizona Coyotes received a devastating blow Saturday, announcing that winger Max Domi is week to week with an upper-body injury.

For now, the Coyotes will look to the positives, and that means more opportunity for the team's host of young talent. Specifically, lanky winger Brendan Perlini, the team's top pick in the 2014 draft.

A product of Guildford, England, Perlini spent the last four seasons with the OHL's Niagara IceDogs before moving on to the Tucson Roadrunners, the Coyotes' AHL affiliate, this season.

There, Perlini has had an immediate impact, pocketing 11 goals in 16 games before receiving Rookie of the Month honors in November. At the time of his Dec. 4 recall, the rookie pro led all AHLers in goals.

Now with the Coyotes, Perlini has appeared in three games, registering three shots while averaging 14:53 in ice time. While he's yet to find the scoresheet, his blazing speed and blistering shot has impressed.

It's those same attributes that gave Perlini early success in his first season in Tucson.

"I've seen a guy that's grown, a guy that's been very coachable," Roadrunners coach Mark Lamb told Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports. "His two biggest assets are that he has unbelievable speed and he's got an unbelievable shot, and we're seeing both of those pretty much every night in all areas."

Perlini now hopes to showcase that same skill as he shoots for a full-time gig in the NHL.