Arizona Coyotes youngsters enjoy more individual attention at Prospect Development Camp

In the past, up to 40 players have been on the ice at Arizona Coyotes Prospect Development Camp in Scottsdale.

This year, there are only 29. The reason, according to head coach Dave Tippett, is simple.

“More individual attention,” he said following the first workout Tuesday night. “More attention to the people that we think matter. We’re trying to fast-track some people to the NHL, so we’ve got to give them as much attention as possible.”

Tippett pointed out the Coyotes have 10 coaches, including himself, on the ice for the 29 players, really pushing the agenda. In past camps, Tippett observed from the seats.

Among the players present were recent first-round draft picks Max Domi (2013), Brendan Perlini (2014) and Dylan Strome (2015). The coach believes more than one of the prospects can grab a roster spot this fall.

“We have open spots that we’ve purposely left there for young players to come and take and we need some of those players to step up and do that,” he said.

Tippett noted that Strome, the Coyotes’ first-round pick (third overall) last month, has some positive attributes to build on after just one day of the camp.

“He’s a mature kid, you can tell. You can tell that he’s been around the game enough having a brother that’s gone through it,” Tippett said. “He’s mature in that sense in what to expect from the NHL, how to prepare for the NHL, how to carry himself — not just around his teammates, but around the media.

“He’s well-schooled in that area, so hopefully that helps him grow quicker.”

Strome’s older brother, Ryan, just finished up his second season with the New York Islanders, scoring 17-33-50 — good enough for third on the team.

The camp continues Wednesday at the Ice Den in Scottsdale.

Luke Lapinski contributed to this report.