Welcome to an offseason preview for the Utah Hockey Club, as the team is entering its second offseason in franchise history. The first began in April 2024 after the team officially moved out of Arizona, right before the draft lottery. General manager Bill Armstrong has been in his current role with Arizona/Utah since 2020 and he will certainly be busy again. Utah has important events in the coming months, including the draft lottery, draft, and free agency. After a terrific season that saw them just miss the playoffs, Armstrong will look to address expiring contracts and perhaps add to Utah’s roster.
Utah Hockey Club Off-Season Preview
Lottery and NHL Draft
The first two upcoming dates for Utah are the lottery and NHL Draft. The lottery will occur on May 5, with the San Jose Sharks having a 25.5% chance to win the first pick, the best odds of any team. As for Utah, they cannot win the first overall selection. The team is currently projected to pick 14th, and the most they can move is 10 spots. While they have a 1.5% chance of doing so, there is also the possibility of Utah dropping below 14th. In this case, all they can do is hope for some luck.
The 2025 NHL Entry Draft will take place on June 27 and June 28 in Los Angeles. Utah has one draft pick in every round, except round seven. Their own seventh-round pick was dealt to the Tampa Bay Lightning back in March 2024. The trade sent that pick and defenceman Matt Dumba to the Lightning for their 2027 5th round pick. The move relieved the entirety of Dumba’s $3.9 million cap hit from Utah’s books. The team was still in Arizona at the time of the trade.
The highest pick in Utah history so far was their first-ever selection in last year’s draft. Utah chose Tij Iginla with the 6th overall pick, he signed his entry-level contract shortly after. The son of Hall of Fame forward Jarome Iginla saw his season with the Kelowna Rockets (WHL) end early due to a hip injury. He played just 21 games. Utah surely hopes they will get another high pick again this year.
Expiring Contracts and Free Agency
Utah does not have much business to do in terms of re-signing pending free agents. Among their unrestricted free agents are Nick Bjugstad, Michael Carcone, Robert Bortuzzo, and Nick DeSimone. Jack McBain and Kailer Yamamoto are Utah’s restricted free agents. However, it is known that Carcone has already made his choice in the matter. Belle Fraser of The Salt Lake Tribune reported that the forward will seek a new team once free agency opens on July 1.
There is also a chance that the 36-year-old Bortuzzo played his final NHL season, as the Stanley Cup winner could retire. He only appeared in 17 games with Utah this year due to injury. Utah will now turn its attention to the others, especially Bjugstad and McBain. Bjugstad recorded 45 points (22 goals, 23 assists) last season. However, this year has been the opposite, adding just 19 points while playing in a bottom-six role.
What’s Next
Despite the numbers, the 32-year-old is a big part of the culture Utah has built. He is an important veteran presence and voice in the locker room. They are key pieces of Utah’s forward depth, so agreeing to terms would be beneficial. Yamamoto will undoubtedly try to reclaim a full-time roster spot. He spent most of the season in the minors, playing in just 12 games with the Club. Whether they re-sign with Utah or not is currently unknown.
Per Puckpedia, Utah will have around $22 million in cap space. That gives them flexibility to be creative in re-signing players or adding new ones from the open market. Armstrong may also look to lock up centre Logan Cooley to a long-term extension. The 20-year-old had a breakout year and will be an RFA next summer. We will see how Utah approaches the offseason soon.
Main photo by: Amber Searls-Imagn Images
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