Once the calendar turned to 2023, however, the 22-year-old found his groove, notching 17 goals and 18 assists over the season's final 47 games. He recorded six multi-point games over that span, including a four-point performance against the Minnesota Wild on March 12.
His 19 goals and 24 assists over a full 82 games played were both career highs.
"It was a tough first half of the year, and when you go through things like that you learn a lot and you figure out things in your game," Hayton said. "I'm still young in this league, and just that experience, obviously it was hard in the moment, for sure, but you pick up things and you see things and you're able to find your game. That was a big thing for me."
Tweet from @ArizonaCoyotes: BARRETT. HAYTON. pic.twitter.com/q8MeQhniIm
The former fifth overall draft pick (2018) is no stranger to high expectations, and he excelled with the OHL's Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds with an eye-popping 66 points in 39 games during the 2018-19 season. Already thought of as part of the team's core alongside Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, Lawson Crouse, J.J. Moser, Juuso Valimaki, and Karel Vejmelka, it's easy to forget that Hayton has only two full NHL seasons under his belt.
The budding star, however, said the lessons learned through the first course of this season are ones that will pay dividends as his career progresses.
"Every player goes through slumps in their career," Hayton said. "You never want to, and to start the year it's tough, but you're going be in that situation again, and knowing you can get through it, I'm just really proud of myself for that. It's something that stays with you forever."
He has continued to gel well with that aforementioned core, and the Coyotes grew collectively throughout the 2022-23 season. Hayton's attitude in some ways mirrored the team as a whole, emphasizing the culture and identity both head coach André Tourigny and general manager Bill Armstrong have been building within the organization.
Hayton's maturation highlights those very points.
"We built an identity, we built stronger leadership, we keep building our culture, and we certainly want to keep improving," Tourigny said. "Last year after the season, we were really proud of how tight our group was and how competitive we were, and we made a step this year. There's no way I'm accepting anything else than another step next year."
General manager Bill Armstrong agreed.
"They just had that battle inside them. They didn't want to give up," Armstrong said. "That's a credit to our coaching staff, our culture, and our players not rolling over."
Hayton's resilience is a shining example for the next wave of Coyotes look to have an impact within the organization. Players like Dylan Guenther, Josh Doan, Logan Cooley, Conor Geekie, and Maveric Lamoureux, among others, will all need to learn how to adjust to life as an NHL player when the time comes.
The way Hayton finished the 2022-23 season was a sterling example of how to handle adversity, and that's an important lesson for the newcomers looking to pave their way in the NHL.
"It was a year of growth, and that's a big thing for myself personally," Hayton said. "As a group we fought the whole year. I think there's a lot we can take from it and build on moving forward."
Previous Posts in this Series:
2022-23 in Review: Mullett Magic in Full Effect2022-23 in Review: Armstrong, Tourigny Optimistic with Coyotes' Growth2022-23 in Review: Keller Caps Comeback with Record Season2022-23 in Review: Maccelli's Season Places him Among NHL's Best Rookies
2022-23 in Review: Crouse Caps Career Year with Appearance at Worlds
