On July 8, the Utah Hockey Club announced they re-signed forward Barrett Hayton to a two-year deal worth $2.65 million annually. After revitalizing their defensive core by adding Mikhail Sergachev and John Marino, general manager Bill Armstrong brought back a key piece of Utah’s forward group. While Hayton recorded only 10 points in 33 games last season, keeping him retains the team’s potential top line with Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz. Playing together for a full season should see them flourish as a true first line.
Who is Barrett Hayton?
The Arizona Coyotes’ top-five pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft has yet to live up to his draft status. At the time, Arizona needed a true top defensive partner to complement former captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Even with defensemen Quinn Hughes, Evan Bouchard, and Noah Dodson available at fifth overall, Arizona selected Hayton.
After being drafted, Hayton returned for his third and final season with the Soo Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He was captain that season, scoring 66 points in 39 games. His stellar campaign earned him a spot on Team Canada’s U20 2019 World Junior Championship (WJC) team, where he recorded four assists in five games.
Hayton signed his rookie contract leading into the 2019-20 NHL season. He started the year in Tucson with the Coyotes’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Roadrunners. After posting a point-per-game pace in his first five games, he was called up to join the Coyotes. The two-way center notched four points in his first six NHL games. On Oct. 12, 2019, he scored his first NHL goal (the game-winner) against the New Jersey Devils in Arizona’s 5-3 victory.
That season, Hayton was also named captain of Team Canada’s U20 2020 WJC team. The 6-foot-1, 207-pound captain led Canada in scoring with 12 points, which ranked second in the tournament. He reportedly suffered a Grade 1 shoulder separation and still played in the gold medal game against Russia. Canada erased a two-goal deficit in the third, thanks to his game-tying goal and won the gold medal.
The following season, he played for the Coyotes, Roadrunners, and Tampereen Ilves of the Finish Elite League (Liiga), where he played with Utah Hockey Club’s forward Matias Maccelli and defenseman Juuso Välimäki. Heading into the 2021-22 NHL season, Hayton looked to become an NHL regular, scoring three points in 14 games.
Related: Predicting Arizona Coyote Barrett Hayton’s Next Contract
Hayton finally got his chance, playing 60 games with the Coyotes in 2021-22, notching 10 goals and 24 points. He recorded several multi-point games, including against the Dallas Stars on April 27, when he recorded an assist and a game-tying power-play goal in the third period. His third point of the night was the secondary assist on forward Travis Boyd’s overtime winner.
Breakout 2022-23 Season Centering Keller and Schmaltz
Coyotes head coach André Tourigny crafted the line of Keller, Boyd, and Schmaltz in the 2021-22 season. However, at the start of the following campaign, their production was lacking. Tourigny threw Hayton a bone, giving him a shot in Boyd’s spot on the top line. The switch showed evident success; the 24-year-old set career highs in goals (19), assists (24), and points (43). The change also benefitted Keller as he set career bests in the same categories. He also tied the record for most points in a single season in Jets/Coyotes history with Keith Tkachuk with 86.
That first line combined for 187 points in 227 games thanks to Hayton’s two-way game, Keller’s quick hands and one-timer, and Schmaltz’s crafty play-making and back-checking skills. Tourigny bumped Hayton up to be the first-line center around the mid-point of the season. The adjustment sparked better production from Keller (37 points in the first 41 games, 49 points in the following 41 games) and Hayton (14 points in the first 41 games, 29 points in the following 41 games). While Schmaltz did not have the same second-half success as the other two, he notched 58 points in 63 games.
Injury Limited Hayton’s 2023-24 Campaign
The Canadian-born, left-handed shot, dealt with two injuries last season. In mid-November, Hayton suffered an upper-body injury against the Columbus Blue Jackets. He made his return three months later but only lasted a month before going down with a hand injury against the Chicago Blackhawks, which required surgery and ended his season. Still, in games where he was injured, he scored one goal and two assists.
Outlook for Next Season in Utah
While fans in Utah may look to young-gun forwards Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther, re-signing Hayton does more than just bring back a young, developing player. He is the glue and the missing piece down the middle of Utah’s top line. Other centers that spent time on the first line were Nick Bjugstad and Alex Kerfoot, giving Utah several options to consider for their number one center. Nonetheless, it is time to let Hayton prove his worth as a former top-five pick and transform into a top-line center.
