Coyotes Prospect Shuffle Starts Before Tucsons First Road Trip

The Tucson Roadrunners strategically bolster the Allen Americans with five key player assignments as the season unfolds.

The Tucson Roadrunners are making an early roster move, sending five players to the Allen Americans as they head into their first road trip of the season.

Forwards Sam Lipkin, Miko Matikka and Noel Nordh, defenseman Terrell Goldsmith and goaltender Jesper Vikman were all assigned to Allen, the Roadrunners announced. None of the five has appeared in a game for Tucson through the team’s first two contests.

Lipkin, 23, has built up a sizable AHL resume with the Roadrunners over parts of the last three seasons. In 107 career games, he has 24 points on 11 goals and 13 assists, along with 31 penalty minutes. The 6-foot-2, 204-pound forward was selected by the Arizona Coyotes in the seventh round, 223rd overall, of the 2021 NHL Draft.

Matikka, 22, has played 79 career AHL games with Tucson over parts of the last two seasons and has produced 14 points, including five goals and nine assists, plus 21 penalty minutes. He also spent time with Allen last season, putting up 12 points - five goals and seven assists - in 25 ECHL games in 2024-25. The 6-foot-3, 218-pound forward was a third-round pick, 67th overall, by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2022 NHL Draft.

Nordh, 21, has 21 points in 62 career AHL games with the Roadrunners, scoring six goals and adding 15 assists, while also collecting 10 penalty minutes. The 6-foot-2, 198-pound forward was taken by the Arizona Coyotes in the third round, 72nd overall, in the 2023 NHL Draft.

Goldsmith, 21, appeared in three games for Tucson last season and finished with seven penalty minutes. The 6-foot-4, 218-pound defenseman was selected by the Arizona Coyotes in the fourth round, 102nd overall, of the 2023 NHL Draft.

Vikman, 24, brings the most extensive pro numbers of the group. In 41 career AHL games across four seasons with the Henderson Silver Knights, he went 16-18-5 with a 3.48 goals-against average, a .880 save percentage and one shutout.

He has also played 58 career ECHL games over parts of three seasons with the South Carolina Stingrays, Tahoe Knight Monsters and Savannah Ghost Pirates, going 31-23-2 with a 3.13 goals-against average and a .897 save percentage. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound goalie was originally selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the fifth round, 125th overall, of the 2020 NHL Draft.

Tucson now turns to a two-game set in San Jose against the Barracuda at Tech CU Arena, the club’s first road trip of the season. The series begins Friday at 7 p.m.

PT and wraps up Saturday at 6 p.m. PT.

Both games will be available live on AHLtv on FloHockey.

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