One of the Coyotes’ brightest prospects suffered a pretty serious injury this week, as WHL Kelowna forward Nick Merkley suffered a season-ending ACL tear.
Merkley, taken 30th overall at last year’s draft, was enjoying a terrific campaign prior to getting hurt, scoring 20 goals and 90 points in 72 games, putting him sixth in the Western League in scoring.
Last year, he captured the Jim Piggott as the WHL’s rookie of the year.
Merkley was one of Arizona’s two first-round picks at the ’15 draft, along with OHL Erie center Dylan Strome. Strome was recently named the No. 2 NHL-affiliated prospect (per TSN), behind Toronto’s William Nylander.