Matias Maccelli won’t garner the same attention as former first-overall pick Logan Cooley, but the 98th selection in the 2018 NHL Draft should warrant yours if you’re following the Utah Hockey Club this season.
Amidst a strong showing with the Tucson Roadrunners in 2021-22 in what was his first full season in North America since his junior hockey days with the Dubuque Fighting Saints between 2017 and 2019, Maccelli thrived. That season, he put up 57 points and 14 goals in 47 regular season contests, and he recorded an additional six, plus his first-ever NHL goal, in a 23-game stint with the Arizona Coyotes.
Fast-forward to 2022-23, and Maccelli spent 64 games with the Coyotes, in which he scored 11 goals and ended the year with 49 points. The performance garnered him a spot on the All-Rookie Team and fourth place for the Calder Trophy, and it set the stage for an unforgettable sophomore campaign last season.
Matias Maccelli will be a major puzzle piece for the Utah Hockey Club
This past season, Matias Maccelli rocked with 57 points, 17 goals, and 40 assists, and he finished with 149 shots on net. While his shooting percentage sat at just 11.4 percent, he converted 18.0 percent of his shots the previous season, showing us that, yes, he’s capable of scoring every five to six times the puck finds the net from his stick.
Knowing Maccelli has put up between 0.765 and 0.695 points per game, respectively, in his two full seasons with Arizona, expect at least the same numbers during Year 1 in Salt Lake City. As I’ve stated a few times already, Utah is in a better position than its predecessor, so look for Maccelli to inch closer to the higher points per game percentage above.
This means it’s not irrational to think he can hit between 62 and 63 points this year while enjoying what should be his first of many 20-goal seasons. Should Utah fare to be better than than advertised, it’s also not farfetched to project he can and will go above those numbers.