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The Utah Hockey Club are in the midst of their first season in the NHL in 2024-25. Utah joined the league as part of a transaction involving the Arizona Coyotes at the end of last season. Utah made massive moves in NHL Free Agency, including some big trades. Perhaps the biggest was a trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning for defenseman Mikhail Sergachev.
The Hockey Club entered this season hoping to challenge for the playoffs in 2025. They certainly had the look of a team capable of making such a run. Utah has one of the best young rosters in the league. And many expected this team to play better removed from the relocation rumors that plagued the Coyotes in the final days of their franchise.
So far, the Utah Hockey Club has placed itself within the Wild Card race in the West. However, things aren't as straightforward as they seem. Utah has dealt with a ton of injuries, especially on the backend. Moreover, they have work to do in order to gain ground in the West. While the Hockey Club is two spots out of the final playoff berth, they are six points behind the Calgary Flames.
Still, Utah has some of the most motivated owners in the sport. Ryan Smith, also the owner of the NBA's Utah Jazz, wants this team to succeed sooner rather than later. This could translate to massive moves in the summer. However, as The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta explained, they could also strike before then.
“Word on the street suggests Utah wants to add and plans on spending big going into the 2025-26 campaign. Armstrong may try to get some groundwork done over the next four-to-five weeks before the March 7 trade deadline and that could translate into bigger moves made over the summer, perhaps around the NHL Draft,” Pagnotta wrote.
With this in mind, the Utah Hockey Club are in a position to add at the NHL Trade Deadline potentially. And they are in a position to make some legitimate noise. There just so happens to be one trade candidate on the market who could seriously make some noise if Utah could acquire him before the March 7th NHL Trade Deadline.
Utah Hockey Club should swing big for Bruins' Brad Marchand
The Boston Bruins are fighting for their playoff lives at this point in 2024-25. The Bruins fired head coach Jim Montgomery after a massively disappointing start. While interim coach Joe Sacco stabilized things for a minute, Boston has once again fallen behind the eight ball. At this time, the Bruins are one point back of the Detroit Red Wings for the final Wild Card spot in the East.
Boston has won four of its last seven games, to be fair. Moreover, they are only one point back for this final Wild Card spot. In saying this, the Bruins also have one of the worst goal differentials among playoff contenders in the East. In fact, among teams within five points of Detroit, Boston's -24 goal differential is by far the worst.
This means the Bruins are on the back foot. They allow more goals than they score. And they are contending with teams like the Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets that have much more confidence about their game.
There is nothing to suggest Boston is actively shopping Brad Marchand. The Bruins captain has been a team lifer to this point in his career. And the Bruins are still right there in the playoff race. However, he is a pending free agent at the end of this season. Boston would at least have to listen to potential trade offers.
The Utah Hockey Club could certainly put forth a worthy trade offer. Utah has picks and prospects that could entice Boston. Some of their prospects are near-NHL ready, as well. This could be more intriguing to the Bruins, who would likely seek to retool their roster as opposed to a full rebuild.
Marchand could certainly help Utah as they push for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. If they make it, his playoff experience would lend itself well to a young, inexperienced roster. If they don't, his experience would certainly still be valuable to Utah's young stars. They may not immediately benefit in this scenario, but having a future Hall of Famer prepare you for seasons ahead is certainly they can take with them as their careers progress.
Of course, there are obstacles here. Marchand owns an eight-team no-trade clause, according to PuckPedia. If Utah is on this list, they would need to make it worth his while to waive. And this is even if the Bruins want to sell in the first place.
The Utah Hockey Club are looking to make a statement. This could lead them to signing the likes of Mikko Rantanen or Mitch Marner in NHL Free Agency. However, if they want to make a statement midseason, a trade for Brad Marchand would certainly do the trick.
