Being the fifth-overall pick in the 2018 draft, Hayton has always had big expectations on his shoulders. He didn’t immediately turn into a first-line center, which drew him some criticism early in his career. Now, in his sixth NHL season, he’s showing that he’s a reliable two-way forward who can play up and down a lineup.

Clayton Keller has been reliable on offense for the Utah Hockey Club this season. Keller has scored 9 points in the last four games, including a four-point night against the St. Louis Blues. He contributed 30 points in Utah's wins and has a +13 rating. Even in losses, Keller has managed to score 18 points.

Utah Hockey Club head coach Andre Tourigny found himself in awe of Clayton Keller after the captain's eventful night against the Winnipeg Jets."That's a hockey player, eh?" the bench boss said with a smile after Utah's 5-2 victory.

Keller recorded a goal and an assist in Monday's 5-2 win over the Jets.

Clayton Keller had a goal and three assists as the Utah Hockey Club beat the St. Louis Blues 4-2. Logan Cooley had a goal and two assists, and Michael Kesselring and Nick Schmaltz also scored to help Utah snap a three-game losing streak with just its second win in seven games (2-4-1).

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Devan McConnell, the team’s director of high performance, is at the forefront of the effort. He uses sports science to maximize the performance of Utah’s skaters. It is an area of the game that has been further embraced by the NHL in recent years.

Minnesota Wild forward Joel Eriksson Ek smiled when asked about two of his longtime teammates returning from injuries this week.

Utah continues the road trip tomorrow with a rematch against the Winnipeg Jets. Tomorrow’s game at Canada Life Centre will be the third meeting of the season between the teams after Winnipeg defeated Utah 3-0 on Nov. 5, and Utah returned the favor 5-2 on Jan. 20. Tomorrow’s puck drop is scheduled for 6 p.m. MT.

Dylan Guenther, who scored both of Utah’s goals on Dec. 20, is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury. Mikhail Sergachev, who had three assists in those two games, is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. It’s unclear whether he’ll be ready to play Thursday.

Connor Ingram made 23 saves and Olli Maatta scored his first goal for the Utah Hockey Club in a 5-2 victory over Winnipeg Jets on Monday night. Logan Cooley, Barrett Hayton, Matias Maccelli and Clayton Keller also scored to help Utah win its second consecutive home game.