The Arizona Coyotes’ top line of Keller, Schmaltz, and Hayton is one of the NHL’s best

Mike Gould
Mike Gould
The Arizona Coyotes’ top line of Keller, Schmaltz, and Hayton is one of the NHL’s best
Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

TEMPE – There might not be a more improved team since the start of the 2022–23 season than the Arizona Coyotes.

Fuelled by the additions of Sean Durzi, Jason Zucker, Matt Dumba, and Alex Kerfoot, as well as the emergence of Logan Cooley and Matias Maccelli, the Coyotes have progressed from a plucky bottom-feeder to a team with the potential to make some noise in the wide-open Central Division.

Easily the biggest factor in the Coyotes’ transformation over the past year has been the team’s top line of Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, and Barrett Hayton, which has thrived since being assembled midway through last season.

If you haven’t watched a Coyotes game in the last 12 months, it’s worth changing that to witness just how effective — and unorthodox — that top trio is in all three zones. It’s something to behold.

Keller and Schmaltz have some of the most palpable chemistry in the National Hockey League. They’re always looking for each other in the opponent’s end, carrying the puck around the perimeter and looking for gaps in the defense’s coverage while yo-yo-ing the puck back and forth with intricate precision.

Take J.J. Moser’s goal against the L.A. Kings last week as an example. Keller and Schmaltz criss-cross a few times at the top of the offensive zone before Keller spots an opening and sends the puck on net, where Moser deposits the rebound.

Tune into one single Coyotes game, and you’ll see Keller and Schmaltz pass the puck like this 10 times a period.

It’s a little unusual for a team to deploy a top line on which two players control the puck 95 percent of the time, but that’s what Arizona does.

Hayton plays a highly unusual role when he’s on the ice with Keller and Schmaltz. Instead of getting open for a pass, he almost always goes straight to the crease and plants himself there, absorbing countless checks and making the goaltender uncomfortable.

Schmaltz has 10 points in 10 games this year; Keller has nine. But even though he plays with the Coyotes’ top wingers, Hayton is the only forward on the team without a single point through the first month of the 2023–24 season.

Hayton’s linemates aren’t at all concerned about his lack of production, nor is his coach. If anything, there’s a strong case to be made that Schmaltz and Keller wouldn’t be as effective with a different center on their line. There aren’t many other players out there who are better suited to do what Hayton does.

“He’s a horse,” Schmaltz said after Thursday’s 3–2 win over the Montreal Canadiens. “He works hard away from the puck, he wins a lot of battles and gets us the puck. He might not be on the scoresheet but he helps us a lot, creates a lot of space. It’s just a matter of time for him.”

Slow starts aren’t unheard of for Hayton, who didn’t score his first goal of the 2022–23 season until December 17. He tallied 18 more after that and finished the year with 43 points in 82 games.

Hayton, a former No. 5 overall pick, is averaging 19:30 of ice time through 10 games this season. He’s third on the team with 25 shots on goal. And Coyotes head coach Andre Tourigny has no plans to change his role.

“He’s a good 200-foot player,” Tourigny said on Thursday. “I don’t know why, right now, he can’t get the monkey off his back. It will come. Last year, it came after Christmas. Hopefully, this year, he will find a way to have one before that, because we need him. We need his production.

“He’s good on draws. He’s really competitive down low. He goes to the net. We’ve scored at least five goals this year on his screens,” Tourigny continued. “10 games, no points, he’s still there. That says a lot.

“As a coach, you have a DNA. You believe in certain things. I believe in the competitiveness of Barrett Hayton, and I believe when you have players that are relentless, resilient, they’re serious about their business, they’re unbelievable pros — things will come.”

Meanwhile, Keller and Schmaltz just keep chugging along. Schmaltz scored twice against the Canadiens on Thursday, converting on a penalty shot in the first period before tallying the game-winning goal in the third; Keller assisted on the latter play.

Since the start of the 2022–23 season, the top trio of Keller, Schmaltz, and Hayton has spent 576:06 together at five-on-five, via Natural Stat Trick. With those three on the ice, the Coyotes have outshot their opponents 330-265, outscored them 36-28, and controlled 58.29 percent of the expected goals.

Keller tied the Coyotes club record with 86 points in 82 games last season. He didn’t miss a beat after spending the previous summer recovering from a gruesome leg injury. In recognition of his perseverance and excellence, Keller was named a finalist for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

Schmaltz would’ve easily topped 60 points for the first time in his career had he not missed 19 games due to injury in 2022–23. The Madison, Wisconsin product finished with 58 points in 63 games, putting him on pace for 75 over a full 82-game slate.

Keller, Schmaltz, Hayton, Cooley, and Durzi all play on the Coyotes’ top power-play unit, which has helped the club convert at a wicked 23.8 percent rate through the first 10 games of the season. As is typically the case at five-on-five, Keller and Schmaltz are the primary puck-carriers on the PP while Hayton plants himself directly in the crease. It works like a charm.

The 2023–24 season is less than a month old, but the Coyotes are on the right track toward achieving their stated goal of playing meaningful games down the stretch.

With a 5–4–1 record through 10 games, the Coyotes currently occupy third place in the Central Division, behind only the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars. Via Natural Stat Trick, their 54.53 expected goals percentage at five-on-five ranks 10th in the NHL — one spot ahead of the New Jersey Devils. That’s very good company.

Four of Arizona’s next six games are against division rivals. Up next, they’ll play host to the Winnipeg Jets at Mullett Arena on Saturday afternoon.

“We had a tough start to the year, especially with the Australia trip and the New York swing. We battled,” Schmaltz said. “We’re in every game, we’re right there. We’ve just gotta take that next step as a team and learn how to win these close, one-goal games.”

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