This year’s trade deadline brought a lot of trades and changes to organizations. The Dallas Stars traded for Mikko Rantanen, the Colorado Avalanche got Brock Nelson and Charlie Coyle, and the Florida Panthers acquired Seth Jones and Brad Marchand; all teams that are pushing all of their chips in to contend for the Stanley Cup. Then there’s the Boston Bruins, who initiated the start of their rebuild and the San Jose Sharks, who sold off almost anything that moved. Some teams made hockey trades like the Ottawa Senators and Buffalo Sabres, knowing they had to make a trade to their core to spark something.
Everyone made a move for a reason. However, the Utah Hockey Club noticeably didn’t make any big trades. There is a reason for that, too. In their inaugural season, Utah has been through its share of adversity, like the numerous injuries that plagued their blue line, to some players having down years. Yet the team has battled through it together and is now in the thick of the wild card race.
Rather than make some massive trade and shake up the chemistry, general manager Bill Armstrong opted to take a different direction with the trade deadline. He decided to keep the group together and also ensure that even if Utah misses out on the playoffs, they can continue their progression into next season.
Breaking Down Utah’s Deadline Trade
Utah did make one minor move on Friday. That was a trade that sent a 2026 fifth-round draft pick to Utah in exchange for Shea Weber’s contract, the rights to Victor Söderström, and Aku Räty going back to the Chicago Blackhawks.
It’s pretty obvious this trade was meant to shed some of the unwanted assets that were brought to Utah from Arizona. The Weber contract was acquired by the Arizona Coyotes along with a 2023 fifth-round draft pick from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Dysin Mayo during the 2023 Trade Deadline.
Utah has acquired the Blackhawks’ 2026 fifth round draft pick for Aku Räty, the rights to Victor Söderström, and the remainder of Shea Weber’s contract ($7.8M for the next year).
— Chase Beardsley (@ChaseBeardsley_) March 7, 2025
Only trade for Utah today.#UtahHC
Weber hasn’t played a single NHL game since the 2021 Stanley Cup Final because of an injury, and he most likely will never play in the NHL again. The addition of the Weber contract was made so the team could get to the cap floor, which has been a pretty popular move by rebuilding teams recently. In fact, the Coyotes were the ones who made it popular. Over the years, they acquired similar players like Chris Pronger, Pavel Datsyuk, Marian Hossa, Dave Bolland, and Brian Little – all of whom will never play an NHL game again due to injury (or in Datsyuk’s case, because he left the league for the Kontinental Hockey League/KHL).
Related: Utah’s Sammy Walker Ready for New Chapter in Tucson
With the team moving to Utah, having a more stable owner, and entering their playoff contention window, it was finally time to shed the last bit of dead money that had helped the Coyotes for so long. The Blackhawks will make use of it to get to the cap floor next season as they continue their rebuild. For reference, Weber’s contract carries a $7.85 million cap hit, but the Hall of Fame defenseman is only owed $1 million.
Meanwhile, for Utah, this gives the team some more cap room for the upcoming offseason. It sounds like Armstrong was going to deal the Weber contract sometime before free agency anyway.
“(It’s) a little bit of housekeeping on our end,” Armstrong said. “I think it helps us be able to accumulate some cap space next year and tied up a few loose ends too…We were able get that done and get that accomplished now instead of waiting till the draft.”
Söderström was drafted 11th overall in 2019 and hasn’t done much at the NHL level. In 49 games with the Coyotes, he had nine points. This past offseason, he decided not to sign with Utah and instead signed with Brynäs IF of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). As a restricted free agent, Utah still owned his rights, but it felt like he was never going to play a game with Utah or the Tucson Roadrunners again. As a result, Utah flipped him to the Blackhawks.
Räty is the interesting part of the trade for the Blackhawks. Last season, he had a great year with the Roadrunners scoring 44 points and appearing in a game with the Coyotes, tallying an assist. However, his production went down this season, scoring only 19 points in 50 games with the Roadrunners. It could just be a down season for Räty, and the Blackhawks could unlock the talented player we saw last season. Either way, he’ll have a better chance at cracking the Blackhawks’ roster than Utah’s.
Utah basically offloaded a bunch of assets that they were going to lose in the offseason anyway. Getting a fifth-round pick out of it isn’t bad either. It’s not a major deal, but it gets them another draft pick and, more importantly, $22 million in cap space this offseason, which could lead to their own massive acquisition this summer.
Keeping the “Family” Together
Last season, the Coyotes were out of the playoffs by the trade deadline. Armstrong decided to sell most of their pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs) like Jason Zucker, Matt Dumba, and Troy Stecher. This season, however, with Utah in the thick of the playoff race, Armstrong rewarded the team by doing the exact opposite. He kept the gang together and even handed out some extensions. While he admitted if there was a player out there that fit Utah’s mold, they would’ve been all over it, he didn’t want to break up the chemistry that the team has formed in their hunt for a playoff spot.
“We’re moving in the right direction and you don’t want to break up that chemistry,” Armstrong said. “If there was a deal out there that put us over the edge with a dynamic player like a Sergachev or something we were all in — we have all the assets. But we want to move very smartly.”
Utah started with extending Olli Määttä to a three-year extension with a $3.5 million average annual value (AAV). Määttä has been a critical part of Utah’s blue line after being acquired from the Detroit Red Wings this season and helped the team’s defense stay afloat during a time when Sean Durzi, John Marino, and Robert Bortuzzo were out with injuries.
The team followed that up by signing Ian Cole and Alex Kerfoot to one-year extensions. Both players have become significant parts of Utah’s culture and locker room. Starting with Kerfoot, the forward has 17 points in 62 games. It’s a dip from his 45-point season last year, but he’s still been an important part of the bottom-six where he’s been an effective two-way player.
“We are very pleased for Alex to remain in Utah,” said Armstrong. “Alex is an important leader for our group with his versatility on the ice and leadership off the ice, and we look forward to having his continued contribution as we fight down the stretch to make the playoffs.”
Kerfoot’s contract is worth $3 million. Outside of his on-ice play, he has been a leader in the locker room as an alternate captain and in the community. This includes him personally donating his game tickets to local girls’ programs.
“Any time you have a chance to extend a player of Alex’s character and versatility in all situations, you seize that opportunity,” said president of hockey operations Chris Armstrong. “Alex is a respected voice in our locker room, and he and his wife Marissa have already made a huge impact in our community through their initiatives for young women and girls.”
Cole is in his first season with Utah. After helping the Vancouver Canucks get to the second round of the playoffs last season, he signed a one year deal with Utah. During his time with the team, like Määttä, Cole was a vital part of the blue line when they were dealing with injuries. His play earned him a new deal, marking the first time he’s been with the same team for longer than a year since his time with the Colorado Avalanche.
“We are thrilled to have Ian back for another season,” Armstrong said. “Ian’s championship pedigree, work ethic and leadership on and off the ice are valuable assets to our group, and we’re thrilled to have him remain with our organization as we fight for a playoff spot.”
Cole has 13 points with Utah this season. He’s also been one of their best shot-blockers, constantly putting his body on the line for the team. His deal is worth $3 million as well.
“Ian is the consummate professional and puts his body on the line nightly for our team,” said C. Armstrong. “He has played a critical role in helping to shape the identity of our team this year through his work ethic, durability and relentless commitment.”
The big one came with the extension of Karel Vejmelka. The goaltender has been arguably the team’s MVP. He currently has a save percentage of .912 and a GAA of 2.44. He has 17 wins this season and is in the top 10 of most goaltender stats. Without Vejmelka, Utah wouldn’t have been anywhere near a playoff spot.
“Karel has been integral to the success of our team this season,” said Armstrong. “He is a talented goaltender that competes every night he takes the net and has solidified one of the most critical positions on our team. We are thrilled to have Karel signed for the next five years.”
Vejmelka has been in trade rumors going back to last season, so the extension makes sure he’s in Salt Lake City for at least the next five years. It’s exactly where he wants to be, and he had no other thoughts of going elsewhere.
“I desire to stay in Utah,” Vejmelka said. “It’s a great group of guys. That was first thing on my mind: to stay here and just be part of this great group. I’m glad to stay.”
Vejmelka’s extension has a cap hit of $4.75 million AAV. For him, Utah is more than just a team. It’s a family. He’s been through so much with this group of players, including multiple trade deadlines where chunks of the team were shipped off for draft picks and a relocation to Utah. Now, as they battle for a playoff spot, it’s only right that he’s part of the group going forward.
“The first year here is something special for everybody,” Vejmelka said. “I am trying to enjoy every moment with those guys. I would say it’s a big family for me. It’s kind of a second family. It’s a pleasure to be part of it.”
Utah also signed Cameron Hebig to a one-year, two-way deal for the remainder of the season. Hebig is in the midst of his seventh season in the AHL. With the Roadrunners this season, he has a career-high 20 goals and 37 points. He was also named to his first AHL All-Star Game. The contract allows him to be recalled to the NHL if needed.
Utah has changed a lot in the past year. Armstrong made some massive acquisitions, including trading for Mikhail Sergachev, Marino, and Määttä and signing Cole. The team didn’t need to do a lot during the trade deadline. There’s no point in selling as they’re in contention for a wild card spot, and there’s no point in trading for a rental since they’re just coming out of a rebuild.
They’re better off letting the core stay together and continue the season and competing for a spot in the playoffs. Especially with the massive amount of cap space Utah has, they could instead make a big splash in free agency if they choose to do so in order to make a better run at the playoffs next year.
Whatever happens, you can tell this team has grown since last season. Their youth has matured, and now they’re three points back of the second wild card spot in the Western Conference. Throughout the rebuild, the core has been through a lot of pain. However, the pain is almost over, and Armstrong’s lack of moves during the deadline shows that.
“We’ve taken good steps,” Armstrong said. “I like the way our team plays. I think there’s been some learning lessons along the way. There’s a lot of pain you have to go through to make the next step…we’re getting there.”
With where the team is with 20 games remaining, Utah is certainly getting towards the next step. With more youth expected to join the team in the offseason and others projected to take another step next season, Utah should be a playoff team soon, if not this season. This trade deadline was the first one where Armstrong didn’t sell off any assets. It’s a sign that the rebuild is almost over, and the next stage in their pursuit for a championship is about to begin.
