New team, new owner, new city, a new arena… that’s what all Utah Hockey Club players had to contend with this current 2024-25 season. Do they have a better owner? Without a doubt. He is not just talking about remodeling Delta Center to make it more amenable for NHL hockey; he is doing it.
So, with all these changes and adjustments, how is the new Utah team doing thus far? About the same as the Arizona Coyotes did after a dozen games last season. Last season, the Coyotes were 6-5-1 for 13 points. In this campaign, Utah is 5-4-3 for 13 points.
It’s an excellent idea to observe their 2024-25 progress to this point in time. We’ll cover 12 thoughts 12 games into this season.
Connor Ingram’s Game Is Not Great
Connor Ingram has the starting role this season and has a respectable 5-2-3 record. His other statistics, however, could be more appealing. He has a poor .881 save percentage (SV%) and an even-less-attractive 3.57 goals-against-average (GAA.) His SV% ranks him 49th in the league, and his GAA puts him 56th. Those aren’t gleaming numbers to say the least, but remember the season is still young.
Much of Ingram’s downward play could be attributed to a more porous defense. The team has allowed 3.50 goals per game, ranking it 27th in the league. They have been hit by injuries, causing the goals against to increase. We’ll cover injuries separately later.
Defense Deficient Due to Injuries
Allowing 3.50 goals a game will not be sustainable if the Utah club wishes to advance to the postseason. They certainly didn’t expect to be this weak on the blue line, considering they added a top-four defenseman in Mikhail Sergachev. They also didn’t expect to lose two top-four defensemen to injuries. I’ll talk about that later.
Related: 2 Players Utah HC Could Trade to Upgrade Roster
An even more obvious reason for the decline in defense is that many new faces are on the blue line. Of the eight total defensemen on the team, only three played any games with them last season.
Power Play Just Average
Utah ranks 18th in man-advantage efficiency, which is pretty decent. They have scored on 19.4 percent of their attempts, with Dylan Guenther leading with two goals and three assists. He will be a power-play specialist for years with his rocket-like shot.
The power play seems to be running very well thus far and when you add in the fact that captain Clayton Keller is out there, the goals will add up as the season progresses.
Penalty Kill is Adequate
In this category, they come in 16th, stopping their opponents’ power-play opportunities 79.1 percent of the time. Adding a key player like Kevin Stenlund has certainly helped the results. Adding Sergachev and Ian Cole to that unit gives them added experience.
Of course, getting penalized less would also help. Thus far this season, they have racked up 133 penalty minutes, which places them sixth. Overall, they do slightly above average killing off penalties.
Adjustment to Utah Relocation
Most of the players were okay with the relocation, but they had little say in the decision. For the team, any improvement from the drama of the Arizona ownership group has to be a step forward. Of course, it had to disrupt players moving from Arizona to Utah. Many have families and even though they may be accustomed to moving as professional athletes, it can be a challenge.
The Coyotes got chased out of the state due to playing in a college-sized hockey arena. They are doing better in Utah. Over six home games this season, they have averaged 11,131 seats sold. The listed capacity for Delta Center is 16,200. New Owner Ryan Smith has indicated he will expand the capacity of the arena and allow more full-view seats going forward.
Injuries Have Hit the Blue Line Severely
Every NHL team can expect injuries. They can’t predict when and which players will go down or for how long. You can bet that general manager (GM) Bill Armstrong never expected to lose two top-four defensemen so early in the season. Losing Sean Durzi for what may be the remainder of the season and having John Marino join him on the long-term injured reserve (LTIR) has disabled the blue line to some extent.
They did acquire Olli Maatta to stop the bleeding, but they will still look for ways to fortify the defense. There were reports that Armstrong was seeking Ivan Provorov’s services, but the Columbus Blue Jackets weren’t interested in dealing him—at least not at this time. Unless Armstrong can swing a deal before the 2025 Trade Deadline in early March, Utah will need to survive somehow until then.
Mikhail Sergachev Showing His Poise
Without a doubt, the massive addition of Sergachev has shown thus far to be an excellent decision. Trading two young players, J.J. Moser and Conor Geekie was a gamble, but Sergachev’s cool and calm play has shown he is what was needed.
What this writer has noticed the most about Sergachev is his poise, especially when carrying the puck out of his own zone. He doesn’t panic, which will help the other young defensemen on the team as he mentors them. He has nine points in 12 games and is averaging more than 25 minutes of ice time.
There can be no debate that Sergachev is a solid addition to the defense. He demonstrates it every time he steps onto the ice.
Blown Leads Can Cost a Playoff Spot
Even with a change of scenery, some attributes of this team haven’t seemed to change. One that will burn them (and has already this season) is blowing leads in games. All three of their overtime losses this season were due to losing a lead. The most miserable of the games where a lead was relinquished was against the then-winless San Jose Sharks. After leading 2-0 after one period, they forged ahead to a 4-1 lead after two stanzas. Then, the bottom fell out as they gave up four unanswered goals and lost in overtime 5-4.
This should be something the coaching staff addresses and as the season progresses, losing valuable points can only hurt your post-season aspirations.
Josh Doan’s Demotion
Josh Doan darted onto the scene last season and looked magnificent, tallying five goals and four assists in 11 contests. Not so much this season, as he has struggled with only one goal and one assist in nine games. The competition for ice time on any NHL team is wicked. He didn’t show up, and was sent down to the American Hockey League (AHL) Tucson Roadrunners as a result.
Some young players take time to develop. A perfect example was the Coyotes’ third-overall pick in 2015. Dylan Strome just wasn’t moving forward and the management rushed him too quickly. Doan will be fine and he is doing well in Tucson with a goal in each of his first two games.
Nick Schmaltz Can’t Find the Net
For Nick Schmaltz to be goalless in 12 games is a real head scratcher. He does have 11 assists which leads the team and shows his playmaking ability. Yet, he has scored 20 or more goals in each of his last three seasons. It will only be a matter of time before he lights the lamp. He is shooting as evidenced by his 27 shots on goal. Eventually, they will cross the red line. With Clayton Keller as a linemate, he will get his chances.
Faceoffs Have Been Better
Utah has an excellent faceoff percentage of 56 percent, which places them second in the league. That hasn’t always been the case in the past. Barrett Hayton (62.8) and Kevin Stenlund (64.6) are dominating in the circle and creating puck possession is an important factor in winning games.
Shots Against Are Still a Problem
Utah allows 29.8 shots per game game and that could be why Ingram is having difficulty stopping pucks. They only direct 26.2 shots on net per game. If you are constantly outshot, that can be a sign that the offense is not doing their job as well as the defense. Ranking 29th in the league for shots on goal will not win you too many games.
They need to tighten up their defense and throw more pucks on net. You never know what can happen; that piece of galvanized rubber can bounce off bodies and sticks and there’s always a rebound possibility. This is a weakness that needs to be addressed while the season is still young.
Final Words on the First 12 Games
The Utah Hockey Club is playing decent hockey. Whether it is good enough to earn a playoff spot is yet to be determined. If they can get reinforcements on defense and pull off a trade to help, they stand a chance. This is a young and talented team. They can go places if things fall into place.
