NHL Utah: New Location, Raised Expectations

Clayton Keller will be tasked with getting this team to contention. Source: Utah Hockey Club (twitter/X)

All the drama is in the rearview mirror with this team which was the Arizona Coyotes before moving to Salt Lake City. Now that the move is complete, this team can focus on hockey. In Utah, the hope is that the Utah Hockey Club (still pending a nickname) can compete immediately. 

Everything You Need To Know

• They have plenty of young skaters on their roster, especially in the forward group who can overwhelm opposing teams whether it’s Clayton Keller, Dylan Guenther, and Logan Cooley.
• This team went out and spent big this offseason. They acquired Mikhail Sergachev and John Marino to immediately fix the defense and it’s clear they want to compete for a playoff spot.
• The question is whether the younger skaters are ready to take this team to the next level or not. Cooley’s in his second season with the team and if he starts emerging as one of the elite skaters in the game, he’ll make all the difference. 

Projection

The Utah Hockey Club has all the pieces to contend. The question is if they will take that leap this season or not. Last season, they showed promise and looked like a playoff team in the first half so the expectation is for them to compete this season.