Is Clayton Keller one of the most underrated players in the NHL?

When Team USA GM Bill Guerin left Clayton Keller off the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off roster, Keller played it off like it didn’t bother him too much. But every time he faced Guerin’s Minnesota Wild after that, he played like a man on a mission .

In four games against the Wild after the roster was announced, Keller tallied nine points — including a five-point effort a week after Team USA’s overtime loss to Team Canada in the championship game.

Keller finished 11th in the NHL in points with 90 last season. He was the third-highest-scoring American, too.

Once the season ended, he accepted the invitation to join the Americans at the World Championship — a tournament Team USA hadn’t won since before World War II. He donned the captain’s “C,” scored 10 points in 10 games and brought home gold.