While the Arizona Coyotes play has been rather sporadic to start the season Matias Maccelli’s performance on the ice has been rock solid. Maccelli is coming off an excellent rookie campaign where he had 11 goals, 38 assists and 49 points. He is now only building off last season as he currently has one goal, eight assists and nine points through 11 games. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5SHXSbxI6Y[/embed] Maccelli is a one of a kind player. He skates exceptionally well, has high-level puck handling skills but most importantly possesses a hockey IQ that rivals the very best in the NHL. The 22-year-old forward is able to make passes that are just jaw dropping and unbelievable to even fathom. His passes are crisp right to the sticks of his teammates, many times resulting in a goal. “He is outstanding, he is our best player right now,” André Tourigny said. “He is making plays offensively, defensively. He still has a few things, he can still play with a little more pace, be a little bit more of that when he is a non-carrier but he is pretty good.” Maccelli plays a valuable role for the Coyotes as the main quarterback and playmaker on the second wave of the power play as well as the driving force on a productive line alongside Nick Bjugstad and Lawson Crouse. André Tourigny spoke following the Coyotes 5-3 loss to the Jets. When Maccelli touches the puck it’s almost like he is the conductor of an orchestra. He is creating what is beautiful hockey to watch with his flashy passes and an ability to create something out of nothing. Maccelli is a player that fans across the NHL need to take more notice of. At his young age, he should only improve as time goes on and continue to put on a show each and every night he touches the ice.
