{coyotes} Utah season preview: Talented, young roster eyes playoffs in 1st NHL season

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Coach: Andre Tourigny (fourth season)

Last season: 36-41-5; seventh place in Central Division, did not qualify for Stanley Cup Playoffs

3 KEYS

1. Make the transition

No team has had a more tumultuous last six months than the Arizona Coyotes/Utah Hockey Club, who found out that they would have to relocate to Salt Lake City at the end of last season. There were new houses to be bought, new school districts to research and new routines to learn. The good news for Utah is that on the ice, the transition shouldn't be that difficult -- it is, after all, largely the same team as last season. But the way the players handle moving from Arizona to Utah could set the up-and-coming team up for success or failure. So, how Utah fares in October could be crucial for its fortunes in 2024-25.

2. Prospect growth

Through its rebuild, Utah has amassed quite a collection of draft picks by taking on undesirable contracts and then, because of it, quite a collection of young talent. That's paying dividends as those young players come of age. And, in this season, Utah will likely go as far as its young talent takes it, especially if players like Logan Cooley, Dylan Guenther, Matias Maccelli and Josh Doan keep building on the seasons they had in 2023-24. Cooley had 44 points (20 goals, 24 assists) in 82 games last season; Guenther had 35 points (18 goals, 17 assists) in 45 games. Additional production from its youngest members could accelerate the timeline for Utah.

3. Be in the hunt

While many teams are laser-focused on the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Utah isn't quite there, according to general manager Bill Armstrong. But Utah needs to be in the mix to make the playoffs to take the next step in its development and its rebuild. As Armstrong said earlier this summer, "If we can be playing meaningful games down the stretch, it's going to be a hell of a season." Armstrong wants to make sure that his team gets the experience of playing under pressure, of being in the race for the playoffs to know what that's like, and to see how they perform in that situation. And that would mean that in 2025-26, Utah might be ready for a playoff run of its own. But if that playoff run comes early, Utah will be OK with that too.

ROSTER RUNDOWN

Making the cut

With the word that forward Nick Bjugstad and defenseman John Marino are week to week with upper-body injuries, the door could be open for a couple of players on the roster. Cole Beaudoin, in particular, has made an impression on seemingly everyone who has seen him, including at the 2024 Rookie Faceoff. The 6-foot-2, 209-pound forward taken with the No. 24 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft had 62 points (28 goals, 34 assists) in 67 games with Barrie of the Ontario Hockey League last season and has been praised by Armstrong for his work ethic and the culture the 18-year-old brings. Maveric Lamoureux, 20, is another option to make the team either out of camp or at some point this season. The 6-foot-6 defenseman was the No. 29 pick in 2022 and is coming off a 33-point (nine goals, 24 assists) in 39-game season with Drummondville of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.

Most intriguing addition

On June 29, Utah traded for Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev, adding a major piece to a defense that it would revamp by also adding Marino from the New Jersey Devils. But Sergachev has the bigger upside, a Cup-winning, 26-year-old who is signed for seven more years and can be a No. 1 defenseman for a team on the rise. Sergachev is coming off a season in which he played 34 games with 19 points (two goals, 17 assists) because of a knee injury, but returned for two games in the playoffs and had an assist.

Biggest potential surprise

Barrett Hayton is just one of the impressive crop of young, talented players that Utah boasts, but he has a chance to be a big contributor after a disappointing season that was cut short by injury. Coming off a promising 2022-23, in which the center had a career-high 43 points (19 goals, 24 assists) in 82 games, Hayton was limited to 33 games last season, scoring 10 points (three goals, seven assists). The 24-year-old is primed for a breakout, especially if he enters the season as the No. 1 center between Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz.

Ready to contribute

Josh Doan got an 11-game cameo at the end of the 2023-24 season, making his debut March 26 with two goals for the team for which his father was synonymous for 20 seasons. Doan, who was taken No. 37 in the 2021 NHL Draft, made the most of his short stint with five goals and four assists and looks poised to make the jump stick after he had 46 points (26 goals, 20 assists) in 62 games for Tucson of the American Hockey League last season.

Fantasy sleeper

Guenther, F (average draft position: 177.0) – Per NHL EDGE stats, Guenther was among the NHL leaders in average skating distance per 60 minutes at even strength (10.16 miles; 88th percentile) last season. His breakout stretch late in the season (23 points, 73 shots on goal in final 23 games since March 1) on the second line with mostly Logan Cooley (ADP: 166.0) could help Utah take the next step toward the playoffs and help each young forward far exceed his fantasy draft position. -- Pete Jensen