When Coyotes President of Hockey Operations and General Manager John Chayka told the media that newly acquired forward Nick Schmaltz had “Clayton Keller-like, game-breaking potential,” the assumption was that Chayka was just speaking in hyperbole and being optimistic about his newest player.
But just about two weeks removed from the trade that also sent Dylan Strome and Brendan Perlini to the Chicago Blackhawks, that statement doesn’t seem too far-fetched. Moreover, Schmaltz has shown — albeit in a small sample size — that he could possess legitimate No. 1 center potential.
The Coyotes have not had an undisputed elite centerman since the Jeremy Roenick days around the turn of the last century.