Utah Locks Up Young Forward With Long-Term Deal

The Utah Hockey Club continues to make big moves ahead of its inaugural season.

Feb 25, 2024; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Arizona Coyotes right wing Dylan Guenther (11) waits for a face off in the second period against the Winnipeg Jets at Canada Life Centre. Mandatory Credit: James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images / James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images

The Utah Hockey Club has signed forward Dylan Guenther to an eight-year deal worth over $7 million per season, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports.

Guenther, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, adjusted quickly to the NHL game. He cracked the Arizona Coyotes' initial roster for the 2022-23 season, and put up solid numbers with six goals and 15 points in 33 games.

Still, Guenther was only playing around 13 minutes a game, so he went back to the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds for the rest of the season. He then returned to the NHL in January of this year, scoring an impressive 18 goals and 35 points in 45 games while averaging 16:17 of ice time. He also put up strong possesion numbers and showed that he is indeed a big part of the team's future.

The 21-year-old is entering the final season of his entry-level deal, carrying a cap hit of $894,176 this season. He was due to become an RFA after this season.

Locking up a player who hasn't yet played a full NHL season is definitely risky, but the reward is well worth it for Utah.

In fact, this is just the latest example of the fledgling franchise's aggressive approach to the offseason. Utah has both taken care of its own players, signing Sean Durzi, Barrett Hayton and others to extension, and added plenty of outside help, trading for Mikhail Sergachev and John Marino and signing depth pieces in free agency. The Coyotes were rarely ever this aggressive, but the team born from their ashes is swinging for the fences right away.

Guenther's cap hit ranks as the second-highest on the roster, coming in just below Clayton Keller's $7.15 million until 2028. With the cap continuing to go up, the deal could soon look like a bargain for Utah.

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