Brendan Perlini, taken 12th overall by Arizona at the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, will continue his season with the Coyotes’ AHL affiliate in Portland as the Pirates take on Manchester in the opening round of the Calder Cup playoffs, according to the Maine Hockey Journal.
He joins Portland after his OHL Niagara team lost in the second postseason round to Oshawa.
Perlini, 18, spent time with the Coyotes in training camp before suffering a broken hand and undergoing surgery. That limited him to just 43 games with Niagara but he still fared well, racking up 26 goals and 60 points (and another 12 points in 11 playoff games.)
Perlini is one of several young Arizona prospects that should be gunning for a spot in the NHL next season. He, along with the likes of Anthony Duclair, Max Domi and Henrik Samuelsson could all be in the mix to begin 2015-16 with the Coyotes.