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Central Sleepers: Utah Already All-In

The Utah Hockey Club will be a team to keep an eye on throughout their inaugural season.

Nick Horwat

Sep 27, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Utah Hockey Club forward Ryan McGregor (16) celebrates with Utah Hockey Club forward Ben McCartney (62) and Utah Hockey Club forward Aku Raty (85) after scoring a goal against the Vegas Golden Knights during the second period at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Sep 27, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Utah Hockey Club forward Ryan McGregor (16) celebrates with Utah Hockey Club forward Ben McCartney (62) and Utah Hockey Club forward Aku Raty (85) after scoring a goal against the Vegas Golden Knights during the second period at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The NHL is welcoming a new organization into the fold in the 2024-25 season as the Arizona Coyotes have relocated and are now the Utah Hockey Club. The newest team in the league still doesn’t have an official name, but they are already looking forward to what could be a successful inaugural season.

Playing at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, the Hockey Club is a key team to keep an eye on the Central Division in 2024-25. Primed to shed the stench of Arizona, Utah is a sleeper choice to make noise.

Utah will feature mostly the same lineup as they had in Arizona, but a few notable additions have been added. John Marino and two-time Stanley Cup champion Mikhail Sergachev were brought in to bolster their defensive corps.

Marino is one of the most underrated two-way defenders in the NHL. He can move the puck and be a steady hand defensively with 107 career points (18G-89A) in 328 games.

Sergachev, meanwhile, can do everything Marino can do, just to a higher degree. Getting a much bigger role in Utah than he did with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Sergachev should have no problem approaching his career high in points (64) in 2024-25.

On paper, Utah’s forward group is thin, but there is still plenty to be excited about. Logan Cooley should only improve after a strong rookie campaign that saw him finish fifth in Calder Trophy voting. Playing all 82 games, Cooley scored 20 goals and 24 assists for 44 points.

Cooley will look to take that next step while the recently extended Dylan Guenther already has high expectations from his peers. Clayton Keller believes Guenther can be a 50-goal scorer in the NHL.

Keller himself is sure to also take a huge leap forward in a new environment. He spent the first seven-plus years of his career playing through the uncertainty of Arizona. Now, with some stability, it’s time for Keller to emerge as the organization’s leader.

It’s not clear if Utah will name a captain for the 2024-25 season, but Keller is a perfect and deserving candidate.

Where Utah struggles the most is between the pipes. Connor Ingram surprised many last year with a 23-21-3 season, but was it just a one-off? The reigning Masterton Trophy winner will likely handle the starting duties while Karel Vejmelka putters around the trade rumor mill again.

Daily Faceoff ranked Utah’s goalie duo as 26th in the NHL. There is plenty of room for improvement, but if they get a few saves, the skaters in front of them should carry the load.

Expectations might not be that high in Utah, but you can’t underestimate just how special it will be for the players to play with a sense of stability. It’ll be even more special for the city, who have already shown up in huge numbers to welcome their newest team.

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Nick Horwat
NICK HORWAT

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