The newly added Utah Hockey Club should make a huge bang in their first draft. 13 picks is a great way to add to the team’s talent. Add in the fact that they also have $43.5 million in cap space (per CapFriendly.com), and the summer should be very enlightening for the new fans in Utah, along with the fans in Arizona who choose to follow the players they know.
Utah Hockey Club Willing to Trade 6th Overall Pick
Per David Pagnotta of thefourthperiod.com, GM Bill Armstrong has made it known he is willing to move the sixth overall pick.
As we discussed, Utah is willing to trade the 6th overall pick in this month’s NHL Draft. ⤵️ https://t.co/tVpUDIPuMI
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) June 17, 2024
The Utah club will want to make a big splash to entice fans to attend games (not that it seems to be a problem), and trading that pivotal sixth pick for an established player may be in play. Armstrong has made it known that he doesn’t want to add 33-year-old players but 23-year-olds if possible. Notably, Matthew Tkachuk was chosen sixth overall by the Calgary Flames in 2016. If the Utah Hockey Club wishes to add the pick to a deal to acquire a player who can help them, they possess that ability.
Who’s Available
Few free agents are in the 23-year-old category if one uses Armstrong’s guidelines. In fact… none, to be exact. However, when one examines the possibilities, there are some attractive players to investigate.
Forwards
There is no shortage of forwards who may test free agency on July 1st. Let’s review who is available for the Utah team.
- Sam Reinhart – 28 y.o. (FLA) He will be near the top of any NHL team’s wishlist. He tallied 57 goals with 37 assists and played all 82 games. He has also collected nine goals and six assists in 22 playoff games. What team wouldn’t want him? The problem is that the Panthers have just $20 million in cap space, with 10 other UFAs besides Reinhart and two RFAs to consider. If Utah wants to go BIG, grabbing Reinhart (if he’s available) would be a good start. His expiring contract worth $6.5M will go up… way up.
- Jake Guentzel – 29 y.o. (CAR) Carolina has $23.9 million in cap space, with five RFAs and seven UFAs. Guentzel, like Reinhart, will gather many suitors. He scored 30 goals and 47 assists in just 67 games. He added four goals and five assists in 11 games during the postseason. It’s certain that Armstrong could pay a king’s ransom to add him to the Utah roster.
- Patrik Laine – 26 y.o. (CBJ) While it may be taking a risk, Laine has scored 20 or more goals in six of his nine NHL seasons. He entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program and should be ready for the new 2024-25 season. If he can regain his scoring touch, he could help the Utah club offensively. His contract calls for $8.7M through the 2025-26 season. Is he worth the gamble? We shall see.
- Elias Lindholm – 29 y.o. (VAN) Even though his production fell 20 points from the 2022-23 season, where he collected 64 points with 22 goals, he still possesses 0.59 points per game average over his 11-year career. He commands a $4.85M cap hit, but Utah can surely afford that.
Forwards – Second Tier
- Martin Necas – 25 y.o. (CAR) He is rumored to be headed out of Carolina and no less than 11 NHL teams have expressed interest in his services. He had 14 goals, 29 assists in 77 games last season. His reasonable contract which is ending only paid him $3M so he is going to get a sizable raise, and has many possibilities from which to choose his next club. Utah can certainly use him and he fits Armstrong’s criteria especially his age.
- Jack Roslovic – 27 y.o. (NYR) He has averaged 0.50 points per game during his eight-year NHL stint. He was traded from the Columbus Blue Jackets to the Rangers at the trade deadline in March. He’s not a big scorer, but he could fit Armstrong’s requirements as a forward with playoff experience. He tallied two goals and six assists in 16 playoff appearances this season. Roslovic could fit right into the Utah lineup. It will cost at least $4M or more to gather his services.
- Anthony Duclair – 28 y.o. (TBL) Duclair has some injury issues but can light up the lamp. He scored 24 goals and 18 assists between playing for the San Jose Sharks and Tampa Bay Lightning this season. Tampa Bay may not want to give him up since he bagged eight goals and seven assists in just 17 games. He does carry a $4M cap hit, and Tampa only has $5.34M in cap space with the intention (whether realistic or not) of re-signing star player Steven Stamkos. Stamkos has an $8.5M expiring contract and Duclair may be the odd man out… or at least one of them. Utah can use his speed and scoring ability.
- Max Domi – 29 y.o. (TOR) What could reunite the former “Killer D’s” of Arizona Coyotes fame, Domi is one tough customer. He has a 0.59 points per game average and if paired up with Duclair again, things could get interesting. The two seemed to know where each other was on the same line, and that’s always a plus. One thing would be certain, if the Utah club re-signs tough guy Liam O’Brien, adding in Domi would keep their teammates protected from any aggressor.
- Warren Foegele – 28 y.o. (EDM) Here’s a guy who can really help the Utah team’s bottom six. He can score, too, with 20 goals and 28 assists in 82 games this season. His reasonable $2.75M contract will elevate deservedly so, and he has a 0.50 points per game career average. Definitely should be considered when using some of that cap space.
- Jonathan Drouin – 29 y.o. (COL) He has had an excellent year in Colorado, scoring 19 goals and 37 assists in 79 games. Drouin has re-established himself and could be a valuable contributor to the Utah team.
Defensemen
- Timothy Liljegren – 25 y.o. (TOR) He is a restricted free agent, so the Leafs hold his rights. He had three goals and 20 assists in 55 games last season. Liljegren had 116 blocks and 92 hits to show he can be physical. With the Utah Hockey Club lacking any blueliners signed to a contract as of this writing, he would be a formidable young defenseman to attempt to acquire. He had a $1.4M deal, so he won’t be that expensive to sign.
- Nikita Zadorov – 29 y.o. (VAN) Zadorov is a monster of a player standing 6-foot-6, 235 pounds. If you want intimidating, he’s your guy. He may re-sign with Vancouver, but if not, Armstrong should definitely consider him for his blueline, he wouldn’t regret it. He has a $3.7M expiring contract and has a 0.27 points per game career average.
- Sean Walker – 29 y.o. (COL) Here’s a guy the Utah team could use. After Armstrong re-signs Sean Durzi, adding Walker could really give the team two good quarterbacks on the blueline. He handed out 118 hits and had 127 blocks to add to his resume. Walker had 10 goals and 19 assists in 81 games. He averaged over 19 minutes of ice time as well.
In Conclusion
The yet to named Utah Hockey Club has nothing but potential and should be competitive. With rising stars like Logan Cooley, Josh Doan, Clayton Keller, Matias Maccelli, Lawson Crouse, Michael Kesselring, J.J. Moser, and Sean Durzi, the future is bright. Not sure about you, but this writer thinks Utah Yeti is the best team name out there. Whatever they are called going forward this summer can really define how good they can become.