Coyotes select Nick Merkley with 30th overall pick

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

2014-15 Stats

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