Clayton Keller
Keller is a first-line, first-power-play-unit forward for Utah as of the Nov. 1 preview. His even-strength linemates have changed from game to game, but his usage has not.
Role
Inside the Rink's Nov. 1 projection (Utah at Philadelphia) has Keller on Line 1 with Nick Schmaltz and Dylan Guenther. It has him on the first power-play unit with Schmaltz, Logan Cooley, Guenther and Mikhail Sergachev. Earlier Inside the Rink previews show the same power-play unit on Oct. 10, 24, 27 and 29. Their Oct. 10 preview had him at 19:41, the most among Utah forwards in his previous game. Trocheck, Crouse and Cooley have rotated through his line. Competition for the top-unit work would come from the second unit (Lee, Trocheck, Yamamoto, Hayton, Weegar per the Nov. 1 preview). I did not fetch Daily Faceoff or any live line page, so this rests on these dated projections and the ESPN line page, which showed Keller listed at left wing.
He has skated on the top line and first power-play unit in every projection I found, from Oct. 6 through Nov. 1. Inside the Rink said his minutes and shot volume were already there on Oct. 10. He scored two goals in Utah's 4-2 win at Edmonton on Oct. 15, a game where the team went 2-for-3 on the power play. Last season's line of 12 power-play points in 15 games shows how much of his production comes from that unit.
He played only 15 games last season and scored 18 points with a minus-10. His even-strength wingers keep changing, and Cooley and Trocheck have each been projected on a line that took top-line billing from him. On Oct. 27 he was projected on Line 2 behind Cooley, Trocheck and Guenther. Those are projections, and I have no ice-time data to show whether that placement changed his minutes. I found no beat-writer or Athletic coverage, so I cannot say whether the coach views the line changes as permanent.
Where analysts split
The open question is who plays on his wings at even strength: Guenther on the Nov. 1 projection, Crouse on Oct. 27 and 29, and Trocheck on Oct. 6 and 24. His power-play spot has not been questioned in anything I read. The sources do not argue this point. I am inferring it from changing projections, not from analysts debating it.
Research confidence: thin. Outlooks are grounded in web search over current reporting and refreshed through the season.
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