Utah rookie Josh Doan wasn’t rostered for last night’s collapse against the Sharks. That’s because he was assigned to AHL Tucson shortly before puck drop, the team announced.
Doan had yet to be a healthy scratch this season after cracking the opening night roster, but his role was dwindling. The 22-year-old played a season-low 8:44 against the Kings on Saturday. Without a stable fit in Utah’s top nine for now, he’ll return to the minors to log what should be first-line minutes before his next NHL chance.
The 2021 second-round pick of the Coyotes burst onto the scene last year in the final days of the Arizona franchise, posting five goals and four assists in 11 games. It was a small sample, but combined with his 26 goals and 46 points in 62 games for Tucson, the Arizona State product was developing well offensively.
That strong start led many to pencil Doan in on Utah’s opening-night roster after the players and staff relocated, and those prognosticators were correct. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the same impact on the scoresheet, as he was limited to a goal and an assist through nine games. That’s despite seeing more average ice time (13:05 vs. 12:19) and better possession metrics (60.0 CF% vs. 51.8 CF%) compared to last year’s call-up. But Doan was shooting the puck far less this time and not creating chances himself, taking only 10 shots in nine games compared to 23 in 11 last year.
Utah is certainly searching for answers on the NHL roster, which has lost six of its last seven after starting their inaugural season 3-0. However, Doan’s long-term development is still a key factor for the club, which will opt to give him more runway in Tucson rather than slashing his minutes at the NHL level. With the move, the club gains $925K in cap space and now has an open roster spot.