Losing two starting defensemen due to long-term injuries is never good for an NHL team to withstand. The injury to Sean Durzi, lasting up to four to five months, is a setback for the Utah Hockey Club. Adding to the situation is that John Marino is also on the shelf with an injury preventing him from playing for most of the season as well.
GM Bill Armstrong Is Checking For a Replacement
Per TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, “if this were the old Arizona days, they’d probably say, ‘Eh, we’re rebuilding, if we lose we lose, we’ll probably get a higher draft pick.’ That’s not the mindset for the Utah Hockey Club. New market, new owner, they want to be way more competitive this year.”
One player LeBrun mentioned that Armstrong may have checked on is Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Ivan Provorov. After this season, he will be an unrestricted free agent, and no doubt the Blue Jackets may be seeking to move him. He is carrying a $6.75 million contract and was the seventh overall pick in 2015 by the Philadelphia Flyers.
While Armstrong feels pressure for this team to perform this season, he is currently attempting to fill the void on the blue line by bringing in Maveric Lamoureux from the American Hockey League (AHL) Tucson Roadrunners.
Adding a Top-4 Defenseman Can Help Utah HC
While Utah can afford Provorov’s salary, will adding another top defenseman be wise? I’d like to know what happens when Durzi and Marino return. Will Provorov be a rental player? It seems unlikely that they can contend for a playoff spot. The injuries have spun them from an impressive 3-0 start to their current 4-4-1 record.
Then, other teams besides Utah are interested in a defenseman with Provorov’s skills, such as the Montreal Canadiens. An early-season injury to young defenseman David Reinbacher has also hit them. He is expected to miss about five to six months after surgery on his left knee.
Rumored Trade for Provorov
Prohockeyrumors.com had a trade scenario they suggested for the Utah club to acquire Provorov. They indicated that Utah could trade forward Michael Carcone and a couple of second-round draft picks to the Blue Jackets. Carcone has a low salary of just $775,000 and will be an unrestricted free agent (UFA) after this season. He tallied 21 goals in 74 games last season and could help the hapless Blue Jackets.
Related: Utah HC’s Marino, Durzi Out Long-Term Following Surgeries
The other part of this trade proposal would include the Blue Jackets taking on Shea Weber’s salary. His $7.857 million cap hit on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) could allow the Blue Jackets to stay above the salary cap basement of $65 million.
Of course, all of this is merely conjecture as Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell may not be in any rush to move Provorov. And we certainly don’t know Provorov’s take on a possible move. He is said to be happy in Columbus… if that’s possible.
Another Trade Possibility for Utah
Remember that another younger defenseman is on the trade front of possibilities. How about Timothy Liljegren? He is a right-hand shooting defenseman who has tallied 65 points in 197 NHL contests. He was the Toronto Maple Leafs 17th overall selection in the 2017 NHL Draft. He has only appeared in one game with the Leafs this season and has a $3 million cap hit through next season.
It would seem that Liljegren would fit in very well on a young, aspiring team like Utah. He would get some additional ice time, as he has only averaged about 14 minutes this season in the one game he’s played in Toronto. Can he replace Durzi when he comes back from his surgery? Probably not, but for his career development, it is obvious he has a better shot at progressing in Utah than fighting for ice time in Toronto. Better yet, will the team need three right-shooting defensemen?
Final Thoughts
Utah is attempting to gather as much interest in their new club as possible. Fans need to see that owner Ryan Smith is doing everything he can to give the team a run at the playoffs in their first season. They have some talented young players and, right now, need help on the blue line. There are some possibilities out there, and Armstrong is a crafty GM who knows what he’s doing.
Whether Provorov or Liljegren are the solution is yet to be determined. They certainly don’t want to continue to slide down in the standings or continue with a losing streak. They know what happened last season when they went 14 games without a win. They have only won once in their last six games and that must end if they wish to stay in contention for a playoff spot.
They have what should be an easy win against the San Jose Sharks next, who possess a pitiful 0-7-2 record. They then take on the Calgary Flames, who have cooled off lately. Then, they go on the road to face the Vegas Golden Knights, Winnipeg Jets (8-0), St. Louis Blues, and Nashville Predators.
If Armstrong can pull off another magical solution to their injury problems, it will give the Utah fans some hope that they are for real this season. Time will tell.
