Logan Cooley won't be joining the Coyotes, opts to join Leafs prospect Matthew Knies in NCAA

After registering 64 points in 51 games the past two years with the United States National Development Team, Logan Cooley was drafted third overall by Arizona in the 2022 draft. Many thought that with Shane Wright falling to #3, the Coyotes would draft him, but they elected to go with the smaller, more offensive-minded Cooley instead.

At 5'10 and just 154 pounds, Cooley still needs time to develop and add some much needed size to his frame, something which he recognized in his post-draft interviews. As much as the Coyotes would like to have him in their lineup as soon as possible, he has made the decision to join Leafs' top prospect Matthew Knies at the University of Minnesota for the upcoming season.

The decision comes after Knies and Cooley spent a good amount of time skating together on a line together at Team USA's World Junior camp, so it would seem that Knies (and likely Team USA captain Brock Faber) may have played a role in convincing the Pittsburgh native to join him. Knies and Cooley will look to lead Team USA's offense come Tuesday when the World Juniors begin.