Arizona Coyotes: Clayton Keller Could Be The Next Patrick Kane
By Alex Temes
The Arizona Coyotes made a surprise choice in drafting Clayton Keller 7th overall. Is his ceiling really as high as Patrick Kane’s?
Most draft boards had the Arizona Coyotes taking a defenseman with their 7th overall pick.
Few had them taking a forward, let alone 17-year-old centerman Clayton Keller, considering the center depth the organization already had.
But GM John Chayka stood up on the stage with his 7th overall pick, selecting Keller for many reasons, we are sure.
One particular reason, however, could be the similarities between Keller and Blackhawks’ phenom Patrick Kane.
In articles across the internet, comparisons between Kane and the Swansea, Illinois native continue to pop up.
As noted in a piece by The Hockey Writers, Keller “has the potential to become a playmaking and highly-intelligent offensive player who uses his high hockey IQ, good decision making with the puck and strong passing skills to set up plays”
Moreover, Keller’s smaller size and deceptive speed only increase the comparisons to Kane, who stands at the exact same height and size as Keller.
The stats look very consistent between the two forwards.
Both posted 37 points on the US National Team Development Program’s junior squads and Keller shattered Kane’s US National Team U18 squad totals with 107 points to Kane’s 68 when playing within the development program.
Moreover, on ice, Kane and Keller look strikingly similar.
Kane is known for drawing in defensemen, being strong and hard to the puck, using his frame as a literal shield to keep D-men off of him. In a division which previously hosted Shea Weber and currently hosts Kevin Shattenkirk and Ryan Suter, Kane’s ability to protect the puck is tremendous.
Watch Keller’s play for the USNTDP.
There is an outstanding amount of creativity in his game.
Keller has the presence of mind to know where his teammates are around him and how to engineer a play with that information. This playmaking ability shows in his crazy spin-shots and amazing passes alike.
These skills excite analysts and elicit comparisons to Patrick Kane. Well, that and the fact that his numbers are just as outstanding with the USNTDP as his predecessor.
As an added entertainment bonus, both Kane and Keller are able make a game out of embarrassing goaltenders.
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This kid is something special. He may turn out to be the gem of the draft at 7th overall.
Moreover, the Arizona Coyotes did not lose out on the primary objective of the draft in the first round. They got draft target Jakob Chyckrun at the 16th pick after a trade with Detroit in exchange for eating recently retired/KHL-bound forward Pavel Datsyuk‘s contract.
Give Clayton Keller one or two more years to percolate in juniors or in college and the Arizona Coyotes will be fielding one of the most dangerous offensive powers in the entire National Hockey League.