Skip to content

Coyotes select Nick Merkley with 30th overall pick

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports / Reuters

Tap here to view theScore's NHL draft tracker, which includes the 2015 draft results, the latest transactions, and rumors.

The Arizona Coyotes selected forward Nick Merkley with the 30th pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.

2014-15 Stats

Team GP Goals Assists Points PIM
Kelowna 72 20 70 90 79

Overview

Merkley is a skilled passer who led the WHL's Kelowna Rockets with 70 assists and 90 points in the regular season. His 22 playoff assists led all skaters.

He notched four assists in five games as Canada won gold at the 2014 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.

The 5-foot-10, 191-pound winger is more of a distributor than a scorer. The success of fellow undersized forwards Patrick Kane, Tyler Johnson, and Martin St. Louis in recent years bodes well for Merkley's future at the NHL level.

What the Scouts Are Saying

"He's a highly competitive player with excellent skill and offensive hockey sense," director of NHL Central Scouting Dan Marr said. "He's more of a playmaker than a goal scorer, but he has the ability to score big goals at the right time."

Highlights

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox