The 2023-24 NHL season is a quarter of the way through, and there’s been no shortage of surprises and tough questions certain teams will be facing down the line. The Arizona Coyotes are indeed one of those teams, having struggled up to this point to find consistency in their game. Nevertheless, there are always bright spots that can be found in anything. For the Coyotes, that bright spot has been the emergence of forwards Michael Carcone and Matias Maccelli.
Which begs the question: Could Clayton Keller be replaced as the Coyotes 2024 All-Star Game representative? Could the Coyotes end up having two representatives come February? It’s with no question that the Coyotes are past the days of needing Nick Schmaltz and Keller to carry the offense. Others, such as Lawson Crouse, Jack McBain, Nick Bjugstad, Sean Durzi, Logan Cooley, etc… have contributed in their own way. As the Coyotes become more competitive, more names will push for a chance to be represented at All-Star Weekend. Today, we take a look at five names who could represent the Coyotes in Toronto:
1.) Clayton Keller
The obvious choice is where we’ll begin. The potential future captain for the Coyotes is no stranger to the All-Star Game, having represented the Coyotes three times at All-Star weekend while serving as the sole representative the past two seasons. Keller deserves the nomination, and rightfully so. He currently leads the team in points with 19. He’s coming off a career-setting year last season in which he recorded 86 points on 37 goals and 49 assists, tying Keith Tkachuk’s franchise record for points in a season.
Related: Coyotes’ Keller Remains Underappreciated Throughout the NHL
Keller has only become better with time. He’s the face of the Coyotes and is the guy the organization envisioned to lead them through their lengthy rebuild. It’s with no doubt that he could earn his fourth All-Star Game nomination come February, but other strong candidates will be pushing for that chance.
2.) Nick Schmaltz
You can’t have Keller on this list without having his dynamic duo partner, Schmaltz. The latter of the two has seen his best seasons on the top line with Keller. With 16 points this season, including 59 and 58 points the past two seasons, there’s a serious consideration here for Schmaltz to get his first All-Star Game nomination. The biggest killer that could end up keeping him off this list would be his well-known struggles with production, having stretches of inconsistent play. Overall, he’s for the most part turned a page on that chapter and deserves his metaphorical flowers if he can continue to keep this pace.
3.) Matias Maccelli
The aforementioned “Finnish Fettuccine” may have the greatest chance out of everyone on here at upending Keller for the All-Star nomination, and rightfully so. A season ago, Maccelli dazzled award voters and fans alike with his two-way game and his ability to find the open man with the puck. He led all rookies in assists with 38 and finished atop others in numerous categories. Unfortunately, it was his 11 goals that hurt him the most, ultimately leading him to be left off the final ballot for the Calder Trophy.
Fast forward to the present day, and he currently sits second on the team in points behind Keller with 16 points on three goals and 13 assists. His early season showings suggest he’s shooting the puck at a far better rate than last year, in which he struggled mightily. If he can find a way to put the puck in the back of the net more, he could edge out Keller for that nomination come February.
4.) Lawson Crouse
Crouse was never expected to be more than a net-front presence, bottom-line player. Or so scouts thought. Instead, he’s transitioned into one of, if not their best two-way player on the roster and throughout the league. He’s improved each season, recording career highs in goals, assists, and points last season (24 goals, 21 assists, 45 points). His role on the team has grown, being named an alternate captain at the beginning of last season. Don’t forget he’s coming off a ridiculous month of November in which he recorded 10 goals. His name has also been mentioned with Keller in All-Star consideration, especially last season. Currently projected on pace for 39 goals puts Crouse as the leading front-runner with Maccelli and Keller for his first All-Star Game representation.
5.) Michael Carcone
Perhaps the biggest shocker on this list is Carcone, and not for the reasons you may think. A short time ago, during the COVID-19 shortened 2020-21 season Carcone, who at the time was under contract with the Nashville Predators, was loaned to the Coyotes American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners. The reason is that the Predators affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, went on hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Carcone led Tucson that shortened season in goals with 15, along with 10 assists and 25 points in 35 games.
During the following offseason, he would stick around in the desert, signing a two-year deal with Arizona, and it would pay dividends. Fast forward to last season, where he would go on to win the John B. Sollenberger Trophy with 85 points in 64 games down in Tucson, appearing in the 2023 AHL All-Star Classic. His play caught Armstrong’s attention, resulting in another two-year deal, but this time with a considerable raise. That leads us to now, where he’s continued to stay hot. With nine goals and three assists so far this season, Carcone will be an underdog candidate for All-Star Weekend, especially if he can keep up his hot play. His feel-good, rise to the top story though? That itself has captured plenty of hearts regardless if he’s an All-Star, and will keep people rooting for him.
Honorable Mentions
Five great players were mentioned above, but there are plenty of others that deserve an honorable mention. Connor Ingram, for starters, has been nothing short of fantastic this season for the Coyotes, essentially assuming the starting job recently. He’s posted an 8-3-0 record with a 2.49 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage. Sean Durzi, who arrived in the desert from Los Angeles this offseason has been quite the offensive contributor, meshing well with another honorable mention, his defensive partner J.J. Moser.
Two other honorable mentions include Jack McBain, who is currently on the team’s injury reserve (IR) but has looked promising with seven points in 12 games. Our final honorable mention is a guy who will undoubtedly be an All-Star for years to come in Logan Cooley. He’s struggled in parts this season up to this point but sits sixth on the team with 13 points (two goals, 11 assists).
Final Remarks
The cold hard truth is this: The Coyotes will, more likely than not, have just one representative for the 2024 All-Star Weekend in Toronto. That guy will most likely be Keller, once again, and for the fourth time in his career. The promising side of that is the Coyotes have much more offensive weapons now than two seasons ago that will continue to grow/push and make it hard for the league not to send two representatives to the event. It will certainly be an interesting next two months.
