Coyotes rookie Clayton Keller receiving Calder Trophy buzz
Apr 9, 2018, 5:04 PM | Updated: 6:42 pm
Arizona Coyotes center Clayton Keller celebrates his goal against the Minnesota Wild during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, March 17, 2018, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Despite the Arizona Coyotes having a disappointing season, finishing with the third-fewest points in the NHL, the young team did have some hope looking toward Clayton Keller for the future.
Following the conclusion of the NHL regular season, a panel of NHL.com’s staff writers and correspondents voted for the Calder Trophy — NHL’s rookie of the year — and Keller finished second.
New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal ended up receiving the most points. Barzal received 17 first-place votes while gaining a total of 85 points, 41 more than Keller.
The Coyotes are the third-youngest team in the NHL and are led by Keller, Arizona’s rookie center.
This season Keller scored 23 goals, dished out 42 assists while also winning 47.44 percent of his face-offs.
Among all NHL rookies, Keller had the fifth-most goals. He also had the second-most assists and points, only behind Barzal’s 63 assists and 85 points.
If Keller were to win the Calder Trophy, he would be the first Coyotes player to ever win the award.
