Coyotes Prospect Report: Ludtke, Langlois & Jeník

“Every time I watch him, I just find myself impressed by his offensive instincts,” Lee Stempniak said. “Pucks just seem to find this guy somehow. He’s got a good shot, he scores and he makes plays all the time with the puck, but he’s just one of those guys that seems to have a knack for being in the right areas so the puck finds him.”

From a points perspective, it’s nothing eye-opening, but as a freshman in college, he’s making an immediate impact. Recently, Ludtke was named to the 2023-24 National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) All-Rookie team. He has all the tools necessary to become a bottom-six forward in the NHL, and these traits are certainly being showcased with the Mavericks this season.

Ludtke will likely be back with the Mavericks next season, and the young forward has a bright future ahead of him.

Langlois Looking To Earn Opportunity Beyond Juniors

Defense has been one of the Coyotes’ biggest struggles throughout the season. Their record backs it up, and their performance in each game also does. With that, they need to start adding a plethora of prospects to the system in hopes of shoring up the blue line. So far in his development path, Langlois has been a pleasant surprise as he’s been doing everything he’s been asked of in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). So far, the young defenseman has 15 goals and 57 points in 57 games.

“He was playing top-four minutes when he got there, probably 20 minutes a night, and now he’s playing 25, 26 minutes a night in all the key offensive situations while also playing penalty kill and playing against top lines basically every game,” Coyotes defenseman development coach Kurtis Foster said. “The situation has gone very well for him where now he’s playing with a lot of NHL drafted players, strong players, and his offensive abilities are really coming out while his defensive game is improving.”

As a third-round pick, there aren’t a whole lot of expectations to come to the NHL and tear things up because, generally, that rarely happens. However, with his play in the QMJHL, it’s possible he could make a big impact with the Coyotes down the road, especially with his offensive instincts on the blue line.

Jeník Remains Unsolved Through 2023-24 Season

This offseason, one of the bigger storylines was what would happen with Jeník, as he remained unsigned throughout the vast majority of the summer. Ultimately, he re-signed with the Coyotes on a one-year deal, taking a gamble on himself to prove that he belongs and can make an impact.

Other than the brief one-game call-up he had with the Coyotes, he’s spent the entire season with the Tucson Roadrunners, who have seen massive leaps forward. Much credit certainly goes to head coach Steve Potvin for steering the ship, but Jeník hasn’t precisely proved he can be a game-changer, even at the American Hockey League (AHL) level. The 23-year-old has 13 goals and 28 points in 43 games, and while he’s been productive lately, his future looms next season.

He could be back with the Coyotes; however, he’d likely be back with the Roadrunners, or he can opt to take his services elsewhere. Time will tell, but he has yet to be exactly what the team or he envisioned before the 2023-24 season.

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