After a mostly unsuccessful run as the Arizona Coyotes — the franchise made just one Stanley Cup Playoff appearance in 10 tries after shedding the Phoenix label — professional hockey will now head to Salt Lake City in 2024-25 and beyond. And Utah HC general manager Bill Armstrong got the green light from new owner Ryan Smith to turn this roster into one that can consistently compete for the postseason.
Armstrong got right to work, acquiring a couple of two-time Stanley Cup champions in Mikhail Sergachev from the Tampa Bay Lightning and Ian Cole from the Vancouver Canucks, along with former New Jersey Devils defenseman John Marino. The front office also locked up Sean Durzi and Juuso Valimaki, completely transforming this D-core from one of the weaker units in the league to one that is mobile and much more offensively gifted.
Utah HC also boasts a plethora of young talent up front, including proven stars Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz, along with a few future cornerstones in Logan Cooley, Dylan Guenther, Barrett Hayton and Matias Maccelli. Along with a strong goaltending tandem in Connor Ingram and Karel Vejmelka, there is belief in Utah that this squad can stay competitive after four straight seasons without a playoff appearance.
The Coyotes weren't terrible in 2023-24, finishing 36-41-5, but were still in the bottom-echelon of the Western Conference. Although expecting this club to make the postseason is certainly bold, this is a roster that should compete for a wildcard spot all season long. Here are a few Utah HC bold predictions ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.
Mikhail Sergachev stays healthy, returns to 2022-23 form
Although the Sergachev trade to Utah was shocking, the Russian should immediately have the opportunity to compete for a spot on the top powerplay unit. That's where he was in 2022-23 with the Lightning, which also happened to be the best season of his career — by far. The 26-year-old snapped for 10 goals and 64 points in just 79 games, adding another three points in six playoff contests.
But Sergachev was relegated to the second unit last year after Victor Hedman returned to health and form, and the production dipped considerably. He managed just two goals and 19 points in 34 games, and to add insult to injury, he broke his leg and missed most of the regular-season. Although he made a triumphant return to the Bolts lineup in the postseason, Tampa Bay was ousted by the eventual champion Florida Panthers in five games.
There's no guarantee that Sergachev will begin his Utah career with the top powerplay group — Durzi was solid with 41 points in 76 games quarterbacking PP1 in Arizona — he should at least get a look. Durzi and Sergachev should be excellent together on the top pairing, but which one ends up on the man advantage will be a key storyline to watch in Salt Lake City.
If Sergachev gets the nod, which is certainly possible considering his trade price and hefty contract, he's a huge bounce back candidate in 2024-25. This is still an excellent all-around defenseman, and along with a talented PP featuring Keller, Cooley, Guenther and Schmaltz, he should easily eclipse last year's 19 regular-season points. If he gets that coveted PP1 spot, he should be good for over 40 points, and let's say he hovers around 45-50 for just the second time in his career.
Logan Cooley, Dylan Guenther break out as linemates, on top PP
Keller and Schmaltz became inseparable on the Coyotes' top-line, and that doesn't figure to change next season. Keller has emerged into one of the craftiest and most skilled players in the league, as evidenced by his phenomenal 2023-24 campaign. The 26-year-old managed an excellent 33 goals and 76 points in 78 games, a year after he amassed a career-high 86 in 82 contests the year before. And Schmaltz has also been fantastic, enjoying a career year with 61 points in 79 games after 58 in 63 in 2022-23. Make no mistake; Utah HC needs these two players to be as or more productive to have success.
But the secondary scoring has arrived, in the form of Cooley and Guenther. The former was selected No. 3 overall in the 2022 NHL Draft and had a great rookie season with 20 goals and 44 points in his first 82 NHL games. The latter was picked 9th overall the year before, and managed a terrific 35 points in 45 games after being called up from the AHL's Tucson Roadrunners.
The two youngsters (Cooley is 20, Guenther, 21) are projected to start the campaign in the top-six, with Daily Faceoff slotting them in on the second line along with LW Lawson Crouse. Both players should also join Keller and Schmaltz on the top powerplay group, making each a breakout candidate in 2024-25. There's no reason both can't reach 50 points with that kind of exposure, and the ceiling is likely much, much higher for the early first-round picks.
Connor Ingram, Karel Vejmelka become one of league's better tandems
The offense is young and skilled, the defensive core is revamped, and now it's up to Ingram and Vejmelka to hold down the fort between the pipes. Both goaltenders had hot and cold stretches last season, with Ingram at one point looking like a true Vezina Trophy candidate.
Their play started to fall off along with the team's, but there's a lot of confidence that this tandem can help take this squad back to the dance. They will be pushing each other next year, and it'll be interesting to see if one can capture and roll with the starting job permanently.
As the Boston Bruins proved with Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark, a great tandem can take you a long way — at least in the regular-season. These are two very talented goalies, and the competition should be enough for both to find their best selves throughout the campaign. That's especially true if the revamped D-core can stay healthy and effective.
Ingram figures to get the starting nod off the hop after appearing in 50 games last year and registering a solid 2.91 goals-against average and .907 save percentage. And if the defensive core can mesh well, he'll have a much stronger blue line than anything he's had over his career in Arizona.
The state of Utah is ready for NHL hockey, and if nothing else, this is going to be a very fun team to watch next season. That's especially true in a rink that is more worthy of professional puck. Don't be surprised if the Utah Hockey Club is hanging around a wildcard spot all year long.
Follow Us
Subscribe
