Age will not be a factor when John Chayka picks the Arizona Coyotes' roster next season.
The 27-year-old general manager is entering his first NHL campaign, and has the luxury of one of the deepest prospect pools in the league, which he plans to utilize during training camp in September.
Among the prospects knocking on the Coyotes' door are 2015 third overall pick Dylan Strome, who claims to be done with junior, and Christian Dvorak, the 20-year-old center coming off a 121-point season with the Memorial Cup champion London Knights.
Of all things Chayka will consider when piecing together his final roster, age won't matter, as he aims to ice a team of the best players at his disposal.
"We're not going around looking at birth certificates making decisions," Chayka told Nicholas Cotsonika of NHL.com. "If they're ready to play, they're ready to play."
Other prominent prospects in the Coyotes' system include 2016 seventh overall pick Clayton Keller, 2014 first-round pick Brendan Perlini, 2015 first-rounder Nick Merkley, and defenseman Jakob Chychrun, taken 16th overall in in this year's entry draft.
While Chayka is willing to give the youngsters a shot, he understands the balance between asset management and rushing a player into the pros.
"We put ourselves in a good position with a good group of young players, and you don't want to rush anything," Chayka said. "You want to do it right."
Chayka, whose made a massive splash in his first three months on the job through drafting, signings, and trades, appears to have Arizona fast-tracking to sustainable success.
