Since general manager Bill Armstrong was hired, he and his scouting department have prioritized drafting and building the team through free agency. We’ve seen rebuilds with the Arizona Coyotes franchise, and most, as we know, have failed, and it all started at the draft. From Kyle Turris to Dylan Strome, countless GMs have come through this organization to fix it but ultimately failed.
Related: Utah HC: No Better Player to Be Named Captain Than Keller
Armstrong and company seem to have solved the puzzle with the Coyotes and now the Utah Hockey Club, building a young core with Clayton Keller, Lawson Crouse, Logan Cooley, Dylan Guenther, Josh Doan, and so on. They’ve also made massive trades, such as this summer when they acquired two-time Stanley Cup champion Mikhail Sergachev.
With the regular season quickly approaching, this is the first of many prospect reports this season as Utah’s prospect pool continues to grow.
Simashev Kicking Off Sophmore Season in KHL
During the 2023 NHL Draft in Nashville, the Coyotes had a Russian waiting for them at sixth overall. However, they chose the one that not a single person had predicted; instead of winger Matvei Michkov, they took defenseman Dmitri Simashev. At the time of the pick, it didn’t make a lot of sense given the depth of the draft at forward, but now, looking back on it, it could be the steal of the draft.
Last season, Simashev only notched ten points in 63 games in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), but as a defensive defenseman, this was expected. This season, however, a step forward in his offensive abilities would make him a much more versatile defenseman. The 19-year-old is currently injured but has one point in seven games, and hopefully, upon his return, he can find that offensive engine in his game that would unlock his two-way play.
While the Sergachev trade certainly changed the team’s dynamic for the defense, Simashev no longer has the pressure of becoming the number one defenseman. That was the mindset of many fans when he was initially drafted, but he has room to grow into a top-four role, and with plenty of resources in Utah, there is lots of faith being put on Simashev’s shoulders.
Iginla Primed for Massive Season in WHL
Similar to the Simashev situation, the 2024 NHL Draft housed plenty of defensemen available to take, and it was a very interesting draft class in that sense. Instead of taking defensemen such as Sam Dickinson, Carter Yakemchuk, or Zeev Buium, they went the other way and took Tij Iginla, who has the potential to become a star in the NHL, just like his father.
The 18-year-old was returned to the Kelowna Rockets a few days ago after a short preseason stint with the big club. After a massive 84-point season with the Rockets last season, he has the potential to make the jump to the NHL rather quickly.
Iginla has all the talent in the world, and if he develops properly, Utah’s top-six of Keller, Guenther, Iginla, Cooley, Hayton, and other pieces down the road looks to be in very good shape. Time will only tell, but the sky is the limit for Iginla this season and beyond.
Prospects to Keep Tabs on Throughout the Season
While it’s always fun to watch the first-rounders play in their respective leagues, there will always be late-round gems that make people raise their eyebrows. Of course, it’s hard to tell this early into the season, and even with some leagues still waiting to ramp up regular season play, a couple of prospects could make some noise in 2024-25.
A name that comes to mind is Tucson Roadrunners winger Miko Matikka. Last season with Denver University, he notched 20 goals and 33 points in 43 games as a freshman. Speaking of the Roadrunners, they will be an entertaining team to watch this season, with plenty of youth across the board, and Matikka is just one piece of the puzzle.
Another name that could make some noise in his sophomore season in the NCAA is 2023 third-rounder Tanner Ludtke. The 19-year-old plays for Nebraska-Omaha, where he had 28 points in 40 games as a freshman. His speed was on display much of last season, and after an entire offseason of training, he could be a force to be reckoned with this season.
These are only two names that will be worth watching, but with Utah’s extensive draft history, there will be plenty of prospects to watch throughout the season.
Utah Continues to Maintain Top Prospect Pool in NHL
As the years have gone on and prospects have developed, there’s no doubt that Utah’s prospect pool has fallen in the rankings recently. As players like Guenther, Cooley, and Doan grow into an NHL role, its strength will dwindle. That being said, it remains atop the NHL due to the sheer number of prospects. I suppose that’s what happens when Armstrong, on average, drafts ten players per draft, which is far above the average of every other team in the league. As always, it’ll be fun to watch these youngsters play throughout the season and track their development, and hopefully, one day, they’ll be representing Utah in the 801.
