Rookie Keller ready to embark on career with Coyotes

ST. LOUIS – Forward Clayton Keller started the weekend in Fargo, N.D., by setting up Boston University’s game-winning goal in double overtime Friday to advance past North Dakota in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

On Saturday, he opened the scoring against Minnesota-Duluth before the Terriers were eventually eliminated in overtime.

And by Sunday afternoon, Keller was on the ice with the Coyotes in St. Louis leading the team stretch, getting pointers from winger Radim Vrbata and moving the puck around the offensive zone during practice – completing his transformation from college student to NHLer in less than 24 hours.

“It’s great to be here,” he said.

A day after his freshman season with Boston University ended one win shy of a Frozen Four invite, Keller signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Coyotes to begin his professional career at the age of 18.

After taking an overnight flight back to Boston following Saturday’s game, Keller packed a bag, snoozed for an hour and caught a morning flight to St. Louis where the Coyotes were stationed for the finale of their five-game road trip.

Where he’ll start 2017-18 remains to be seen as Keller could stick with Arizona or play in the minors, but he is closing out the team’s current season in the NHL with his debut coming as early as Monday against the Blues – an opportunity to familiarize himself with the pro game that Keller hopes serves as a primer to becoming a full-timer with the Coyotes.

“I’m going to do everything I can to make the roster next year,” he said. “I think that’s my goal, and I’m going to work as hard as I can this summer to show I can play at this level.”

Drafted seventh overall last year, Keller thought he’d need only one season of college hockey to prepare for the NHL and he made quite an impression with the Terriers.

He racked up a teamhigh 21 goals and 45 points in 31 games, which included 15 multi-point efforts, and his 1.45 goals-per-game average tied for seventh in Division I. Keller, who’s a smooth-skating playmaker with a strong shot, had at least one point in 28 of his 31 games.

Increasing his strength was a focus, which Keller believes he accomplished, and he also noticed he developed better practice habits and improved his defensive play while learning how best to take care of his body – especially when it comes to nutrition.

“Great season at B.U.,” he said. “Now I’m ready for the next chapter.”

During the World Junior Championship earlier this year, Keller helped lead the United States to gold with 11 points in seven games – the highest output among the Americans and the third-best total in the tournament.

“It’s time for him to turn pro,” coach Dave Tippett said.

This preview won’t burn a year off Keller’s contract since there’s only seven games remaining and he’d have to play 10 to lose a season. Tippett remembers his introduction to the NHL being similar as he played 17 games late in the season after the 1984 Olympics before becoming a regular with the Whalers later that year – a transition that was helpful going into training camp.

Keller’s play will determine how much he suits up the rest of the way, Tippett said. In Sunday’s session, he skated as a left winger alongside Vrbata and center Alexander Burmistrov.

“Everyone’s been real nice and welcoming and talking to me and asking me about my season,” said Keller, who’s most familiar with winger Christian Fischer and defenseman Jakob Chychrun as he grew up playing with and against them. “So it’s nice to have that.”

Burmistrov hasn’t played since absorbing an open-ice hit Feb. 28 against the Bruins that sent him to the hospital, but the team is hoping he’s close to a return.

“It wasn’t the concussion factor,” Tippett said. “There was some other issues that he was dealing with that are finally starting to improve a little bit. They’re all repercussions from that hit, but he looks like he’s getting up to speed out there now.”

Captain Shane Doan didn’t practice and is being kept off the ice for a couple days, with the team hoping some downtime will remedy a nagging lower-body injury that has caused him to miss the last five games.

“He hasn’t got any worse, but he hasn’t got any better lately, too,” Tippett said. “So we’ll give him a couple days away and see if that helps.”

Center Brad Richardson, who’s been sidelined since mid-November with fractured tibia and fibula bones in his right leg, remains out, but defenseman Kevin Connauton (upperbody injury) is getting close to a return. Both shared the ice Sunday with Keller.

“It’s definitely cool to be around top guys in the world and just really try to focus on what they do and how they get better and how they take care of their bodies,” Keller said. “It’s really cool to have this time to learn about that.”

His physical and mental maturity will be among the indicators the Coyotes evaluate to determine if he’s ready to be with the team next season. And while the Coyotes will be able to gauge Keller’s ability this season, roster decisions won’t be finalized until training camp.

“There’s no guarantee for anybody,” Tippett said. “Those young players come in, they gotta earn spots.”

Regardless of what transpires, this is the start of Keller’s pro journey and it’s beginning in a familiar place.

Keller grew up in Swansea, Ill., a suburb of St. Louis, a Blues fan whose favorite player was Keith Tkachuk. He attended games as a child with his dad and grandfather, and his cousin is an assistant equipment manager for the team.

“It’s obviously pretty cool to practice your first NHL practice in the building you grew up watching NHL games in,” he said.

Before going off to develop in Minnesota and then Michigan with the U.S. National Team Development Program, Keller played hockey locally after starting to skate at 3 years old.

His parents, Bryan and Kelley, along with his brother Jake are expected