Keller enjoyed a fantastic rookie campaign in 2017-18, scoring 23 goals and 65 points in 82 contests, but he endured some growing pains after that, failing to reach the 20-goal milestone in any of the three campaigns that followed. Finally, in 2021-22, he reestablished himself with 28 goals and 63 points in 67 outings and followed it up with an even stronger 37 goals and 86 points in 82 games last season. He was clearly the Coyotes' best forward in 2022-23, and it's not likely that anyone in Arizona will take that title from him this year. As a result of that status, he'll be given as many minutes as he can handle, as evidenced by him ranking sixth in the league among forwards in total ice time last season (1,701:31). Under those circumstances, he should be able to surpass the 30-goal and 80-point milestones again.
Keller had burned fantasy owners for three straight years, so it was nice to see him finish the 2021-22 campaign with 28 goals and 63 points in 67 games. The numbers would have looked even better had Keller not suffered a broken leg in late March which ended his season prematurely. The injury required surgery and Keller was given a 4-to-6-month timeline for recovery, so he should be ready for the start of the coming year assuming he suffers no setbacks. Investing in the Coyotes' offense is typically not a smart move, but Keller is by far the club's most talented forward. A point-per-game pace isn't completely out of the question here, but check back on Keller's health after training camp begins.
Keller may be the most promising forward left on a depleted Coyotes roster. He had 14 goals and 35 points in 56 games last season, including 10 points on the power play. With a trade and a handful of free agent departures, it's no secret the Coyotes are entering a rebuild, but Keller signed an eight-year contract in 2019 and will likely be with the team through the lean years. He may have trouble carrying the load as opposing defenses will be able to focus on shutting him down, and a lack of sufficient talent around him limits his options as a playmaker. For 2021-22, it's hard to see Keller getting more than 50 points, and he'll likely also end up in the red again for plus-minus rating.
Keller produced 17 goals and 44 points in 70 contests last season, a slight rebound for the winger in his third NHL campaign. He shot at a 9.2 percent clip while adding 15 power-play points in 2019-20. Keller will be locked into a top-six role with the Coyotes in 2020-21, but he's yet to prove his 65-point rookie campaign from 2017-18 is a standard he can maintain. Fantasy managers should also be wary of his career minus-37 rating in 237 career games. Keller will likely land between 50 and 55 points with hefty shot totals and plenty of power-play usage if a full season is played in 2020-21.
Keller led the lackluster Coyotes offense with 47 points in 82 games in 2018-19 despite skating to a minus-21 rating. It's a dip from his 65-point rookie season the year before, but Keller only had a 7.0 shooting percentage in his second campaign. He's too talented to be scoring at such a low rate for long, and with Phil Kessel now on the Coyotes, opposing defenses won't be able to focus exclusively on Keller this season. Expect the 21-year-old to return to the 60-point mark, with 20-25 of those coming on the power play. The winger is a volume shooter as well -- he's posted at least 200 shots in each of his two NHL seasons.
Keller flaunted his top-rate offensive skill set in a boon to the Coyotes last season, unloading 65 points (23 goals, 45 assists) in 82 games at the tender age of 19. Although he'd narrowly miss out on the Calder Trophy for top rookie, the 2016 seventh overall pick can take solace in the fact that he claimed Rookie of the Month honors twice (October, March) and cleared a point-per-game average over the final 20 contests. Keller also fired 212 shots on net and dropped an impressive 20 points on the power play. While his puck skills are undeniable, Keller didn't supply much fantasy value defensively with only seven hits and 28 blocked shots over the full season. However, Coyotes GM John Chayka made some shrewd offseason moves in an effort to improve upon the team's minus-45 goal differential, and Keller should reap the rewards if all goes according to plan.
Keller has accomplished a lot since being selected seventh overall in the 2016 draft. He ascended from the USHL all the way to the NHL in less than a calendar year with dominant stops at Boston University, the World Junior Championship and the World Championship. He projects to slide into an offensively tilted role with Arizona in his first full season in the league, and Keller owns the skill set and creativity to be a consistent scorer out of the gate. However, at just 5-foot-10 and 168 pounds, there will likely be plenty of offensive peaks and valleys throughout the season. Additionally, the rigors of an 82-game schedule could take its toll in the second half. Still, Keller's an elite talent with promising long-term upside.
