The countdown continues with center and New Jersey native John Farinacci.
The 2021/22 season is fast approaching, so here at Five For Howling, we’re taking a look at this year’s Arizona Coyotes 25 best players under the age of 25.
In the third round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, the Arizona Coyotes drafted Red Bank, New Jersey native John Farinacci.
20/21 League: USHL (Muskegon Lumberjackets)
Games played: 7
Goals: 4
Assists: 4
World Juniors games: 7
World Juniors goals: 5
World Juniors assists: 2
Highest rating: 8
Lowest rating: 12
Last year’s rankings: 19
Like many other young players, Farinacci’s development was affected by Covid-19 restrictions. The NCAA didn’t play last season, so instead of returning to Harvard, Farinacci ended up playing briefly in the USHL and representing the United States at the World Juniors.
Farinacci’s time in the USHL was short-lived but eventful. He wore an “A” with the Muskegon Lumberjacks and finished with a point-per-game pace.
And Farinacci didn’t slow down when he got to the World Juniors. Representing Team USA, Farinacci was tied with Matthew Boldly for second on the team in goals scored.
Farinacci will be returning to Harvard this upcoming season, and it will be interesting to see how well he does. He finished with 22 points in 31 games in his freshman season, but a point-per-game pace next season should be expected after a good showing last in the USHL and at the World Juniors.
A primary concern moving forward for the Arizona Coyotes is their weakness at center. They never had a true #1 center, and they don’t have too much in the pipeline. However, if a player like Farinacci can continue to improve his game in the next two seasons, he should have plenty of opportunities moving forward with the Coyotes.
Writing for The Athletic, Corey Pronman wrote, “[h]e can put pucks through defenders consistently and is a creative playmaker. His work ethic is good, showing the ability to win battles and play in traffic.”
Farinacci is far from a guarantee or the Coyotes’ best prospect, but he is a solid player who seems like he will see NHL action one day. When that will happen and how long he will stick around remain to be seen, but for now, he seems to be doing everything right to develop into a good NHL player.
Leave a Reply