Arizona Coyotes sign Clayton Keller to eight-year extension

The Arizona Coyotes are ensuring Clayton Keller will be around for the next nine seasons, signing the young star to an eight-year deal one year ahead of free agency.

The Arizona Coyotes have had a relatively quiet offseason, aside from two trades that netted them Phil Kessel and Carl Soderberg. However, this changed on Wednesday, Sept. 4. Clayton Keller was going to be a restricted free agent in a year. But now he’ll be sticking around long-term. The Coyotes signed him to an eight-year extension, which will go into effect at the start of the 2020-21 season.

This deal has an annual cap hit of $7.15 million. Initially, this puts him just outside of the top 30 highest-paid forwards in the NHL. However, several restricted free agents, including Mitch Marner and Brayden Point, haven’t signed yet, but are expected to eclipse his total.

More from Puck Prose

• Detroit Red Wings 2023 Rookie Camp Has Plenty of Ups and Downs
• This Columbus Blue Jackets rookie doesn’t want to be forgotten
• 2 trades the Boston Bruins must make to secure the Stanley Cup
• 3 reasons the Avalanche won’t win the Stanley Cup in 2024
• This is a big year for Alex Turcotte and the Los Angeles Kings

Right now is an interesting time for the Coyotes to sign Keller. He’s coming off a less than stellar sophomore season. After posting 23 goals and 65 points during his rookie season in 2017-18, Keller took a step back in 2018-19 with 14 goals and 47 points.

The Coyotes are taking a risk with him, hoping he’ll not just bounce back, but continue to grow into one of the better scorers in the league. Keller has the talent to be a dynamic wing, but other than his rookie season has yet to show it.

His 2019-20 season was a tale of two seasons. Keller had a great first-half, earning an All-Star spot with 35 points in 50 games. In his next 32 games, he had just 12 points. Keller also scored 11 of his 14 goals before the All-Star break.

The addition of Kessel should be a huge help for Keller. Spending a full season alongside Kessel and Nick Schmaltz could help him have a breakout season. But the fact is, he hasn’t had his breakout season yet. The Coyotes are paying him like he already has.

This deal could wind up being a bargain for them. But that assumes Keller takes a significant step forward in the next few years. If he simply gets back to putting up 60+ points, like he did in his rookie season, the Coyotes could have a good deal on their hands.

Keller is merely 21 years old, so he certainly has room for growth. Though he is one of the most exciting players in the league, he has yet to learn how to consistently turn that talent into scoring. To be fair, Keller hasn’t played with very talented players during his short career. With Kessel and Schmaltz, he has no excuses.