Clayton Keller Should be New Arizona Coyotes Captain

For forward Clayton Keller going into his sixth full season in the NHL, the best is yet to come. And he’s excited to get going. After a serious leg injury curtailed his 2021-22 season, he has recovered nicely and is ready to go. His stats for last season showed that he is becoming a valuable asset to the team. He was on pace to score 34 goals, 43 assists had he played all 82 games. His 0.94 points per-game average tied him with Nick Schmaltz for the team lead.

Clayton Keller is the Leading Candidate For Captain of the Coyotes

Prior to this upcoming new season, many would have had Jakob Chychrun in that role. It seems inevitable that at some point Chychrun will be traded. That may happen as soon as an NHL team meets the return demands set by general manager BIll Armstrong. Whether Chychrun stays or not, Keller must be considered for the captaincy. Filling Shane Doan‘s role is not easy, but Keller has the character and drive to accomplish it. He was an alternate captain last season and earned the praise of a veteran like Andrew Ladd. There’s no doubt that Keller’s leadership abilities have been on display wearing the ‘A’ this past season.

Here's Coyotes' Andrew Ladd, on teammate Clayton Keller as an alternate captain and how he has played: https://t.co/zfQ0HvXrT0 pic.twitter.com/KiGF0obFsE

— José M. Romero (@RomeroJoseM) January 9, 2022

Head coach Andre Tourigny decided not to assign a captain for the team last season. His philosophy is to spread the captain duties around, but it may be time to settle for one player to take up that role. There are none better than Clayton Keller at this point. Take into consideration that he is signed through the 2027-28 season at a hefty $7.15 million AAV. He is the team’s future, and most times a player of his capabilities will be the team’s captain.

The other consideration is with Keller signed long-term, he will be around when the Arizona Coyotes take up residence in their new arena in Tempe. While more news on the city of Tempe’s decision to officially move forward with the project is still in a holding pattern, we should know more by the end of the year. Having a new home for the team to play and having the possibility of Keller being the new captain has to excite Coyotes fans.

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Moving Forward With Keller as Captain

With the prospects like Dylan Guenter and Logan Cooley coming to the Coyotes in the near future, having Keller as the locker room guy is a no-brainer. He is still a younger player, (who just turned 24) and can relate to the young prospects coming to the team down the road. Can a line of Cooley, Keller, and Schmaltz create some offense? You bet.

It just seems that with Keller wearing the ‘C’, the team has a rising star who can motivate the troops. He knows how to communicate with his teammates and get them going. Along with that, he also leads by example. Some may say he’s too young. Yet there are at least four other captains near Keller’s age in the NHL. Connor McDavid is 25, Dylan Larkin is 26, Nico Hischier is 23, and Brady Tkachuk is just 22 (soon to be 23).

What matters for a captain of an NHL team is whether he can communicate well with his teammates. Can he call out players not performing to their highest level? That will be the challenge that Clayton Keller will be faced with if he is chosen as the next captain of the Arizona Coyotes.

He certainly seems to be up for that. Time will tell.