Coyotes’ Clayton Keller ranked among top 10 right wings in the NHL

Last season, Arizona Coyotes right winger Clayton Keller was selected to his third NHL All Star game in his sixth year in the league.

The respect for the 25-year-old continues to roll in with the latest sign coming from Lyle Fitzsimmons of Bleacher Report, who ranked Keller as the 6th best right wing in the NHL.

There isn’t always a lot for Arizona fans to cheer for, but Keller is surely a favorite. He was a point-per-game player for the first time in a six-season career after returning from a fractured femur, posting personal bests of 37 goals, 49 assists and 86 points. It was the most prolific goal-scoring season for the franchise since Keith Tkachuk netted 40 in 1997-98.

Keller has been a steady presence for the Coyotes despite trade requests by teammates, an ownership change, stadium relocation and a major leg injury in 2021-22 that saw him stretchered off the ice and needing season-ending surgery.

His resurgence since that catastrophe has been astounding.

Keller played in all 82 games for the Coyotes last season, a notable accomplishment for a man who stands at just 5-foot-10 and 178 pounds.

While his increase in goals and points last year was magnificent, the physical element of his game should not be overlooked. Last season, he recorded a career-high 49 penalty minutes, up from the 28 minutes he sat in the penalty box in both 2021-22 and 2019-20.

He is off to a good start this season with two assists in the Coyotes first game, a 4-3 win over the New Jersey Devils.

The Coyotes continue their season with back-to-back games against the New York Rangers on Monday and New York Islanders on Tuesday.

Both games can be heard on ESPN 620 AM.

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