The duo of Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz has been the catalyst for the Arizona Coyotes’ offense over the past couple of seasons. Through their time alongside each other, they have both grown as players, continuing to elevate the Coyotes. Schmaltz opened up about his chemistry with Keller on the ice. 240203 Keller All Star Post “We are always working to get better,” Schmaltz said. “You could tell from the past couple of years, we have really grown some chemistry, we know where each other are on the ice and I think it’s a little different this season. We usually play with Hayton and it was a little bit different, we added a couple different centers. Hopefully we can get back to it this second half and I think we can do a little bit of a better job taking over games, be impactful players every single night and kind if drive the bus for us.” It’s true, Keller and Schmaltz have played with a variety of different centers through the course of this season. Coach André Tourigny has shuffled the lines a lot in general, but one thing that has remained constant is the duo of Keller and Schmaltz. There is a reason for that. These two players complement each other perfectly. Keller is fast and dynamic with the puck on his stick while Schmaltz has an electric shot as he is able to score from practically anywhere in the offensive zone. Keller currently has 20 goals, 25 assists and 45 points in 48 games, leading the team in all three statistical categories. Schmaltz is having a pretty solid season himself. In 45 games, he’s tallied 13 goals, 16 assists and 29 points. With the final months of the season approaching and the Coyotes still pushing for the playoffs, they will need Keller and Schmaltz to continue their impressive play in hopes for a postseason berth.
