The NHL Draft is now less than 48 hours away. Get ready by meeting Utah's 2016 draft pick that has emerged into stardom in recent years.
It doesn't matter where Clayton Keller would end up in his career, the Chesterfield, Missouri, native, was bound to be a star.
It's exactly what former general manager John Chayka was hoping for when he drafted the U.S. National Team Development Program prospect in 2016.
He only played three games in 2016-17, recording his first two NHL points via assists, but exploded for 23 goals and 65 points in his rookie season, playing a full 82 games, and finishing third for the Calder Trophy.
Keller was rewarded with an 8-year extension that kicked in during the shortened 2020-21 season, and has since paid it off with back-to-back 30-goal seasons, punctuated by tying Keith Tkachuk's franchise record for points in a season with 89 in 2022-23.
Even with the emergence of Logan Cooley, Dylan Guenther, and Lawson Crouse, Keller has proved to remain the face of the franchise because of his offensive abilities and his leadership skills.
As I wrote last week, when the Stanley Cup playoffs arrive, you can guarantee this kid will turn up his intensity one-half a notch and maybe more.
He's already made himself a favorite amongst the fans, too; you can tell Keller, even for being 25 years old, is mature beyond that, as are all of the young guns for Utah.
Now it'll be interesting to see who will join Keller, Cooley, and the core of young stars for Utah.