- Kevin Stenlund’s decision to sign with Florida last summer was a wise one. He put up a career-best 11 goals in 2023-24 while winning the Stanley Cup. The middleman told Hockeysverige’s Ronnie Ronnkvist that he was hoping to remain with the Panthers in free agency but those talks didn’t progress very far. The 27-year-old wound up signing a two-year, $4MM deal with Utah, a price point that Florida simply wouldn’t have been able to afford to pay for someone in a depth role given their salary structure.
Utah Rumors
Poll: Who Will Be The NHL’s Next Captain?
August is finally here, marking the time of year when teams reconvene at their home rink and begin hardy planning for the upcoming season. That step will come with extra work for the six teams around the league who don’t currently have a captain.
Many of these teams, including Seattle, Anaheim, and Utah, have gone years without a captain – instead opting to disseminate responsibilities among multiple assistant captains. All three teams are amidst staunch rebuilds – with Utah even mapping out relocation – and are likely waiting for their top prospects to take a few more steps before earning the role. The trio of Matthew Beniers, Leo Carlsson, and Logan Cooley seem prime for that ascension with their respective teams, though they each have multiple challengers lining up behind them. The Buffalo Sabres are in a similar grouping, as they transition from a veteran-laden lineup to one of the league’s youngest rosters.
The Chicago Blackhawks also fall into the aforementioned discussion – not carrying a captain since legendary centerman Jonathan Toews ended his career in 2022. Toews leaves massive shoes as Chicago’s leader, after co-heading three Stanley Cup wins alongside winger Patrick Kane. Naming a successor will formally carry Chicago into a new era – one without many of the faces that came to define Chicago hockey in the 2010s. Teenage phenom Connor Bedard seems like a great option to lead that transition, after netting 22 goals and 61 points in 68 games last season – the most of any rookie Blackhawk since Artemi Panarin in 2016, and Kane before him. But Bedard is still young and was limited to a partial season last year by a jaw injury. Those factors could hold him back from Chicago’s prestigious ’C’. If that is the case, it doesn’t seem any of the team’s veteran leaders, including Nick Foligno and Seth Jones, would inspire Chicago to name a captain too early.
And while Chicago’s next captain will lead the team through new scenery, it’s the Tampa Bay vacancy that headlines the off-season. The Lightning now sit without a captain for the first time since 2002, after franchise icon Steven Stamkos chose to sign with the Nashville Predators in his first trip to unrestricted free agency. Stamkos wore the ’C’ for the last 10 years and established himself as a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer in that span, leading Tampa Bay to two Stanley Cups and setting the franchise’s all-time records in both goals and points scored. Like in Chicago, the Lightning will be entering a new era with their next captain – though they’re much more prepared for the vacancy than their counterparts. While forwards Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point could both serve as strong replacements, it’s defenseman Victor Hedman that offers the same rugged veteran leadership brought by Stamkos. Hedman recently signed a four-year extension in Tampa, taking him through his age-37 season and, potentially, the end of his career. He’s already appeared in 1,052 games with Tampa Bay – the most of any Lightning other than Stamkos – and holds the franchise records in all three scoring stats, among defenders. Transitioning from Stamkos to Hedman should prove more of a light handoff than a total change in power, which could be enough to sway a Lightning franchise that hasn’t gone longer than one year without a captain since naming Paul Ysebaert as their inaugural ’C’.
Mapping out when captain announcements will come is often a fool’s bet, but the candidates to earn the NHL’s next ’C’ seem to be becoming clearer. Who will it be? Will Tampa jump to another veteran, will Chicago move into their next step, or will an oft-captain-less team commit to their young guard? Let us know by voting in the poll below and discussing in the comments.
If the embedded poll isn’t showing up, use this link to vote!
Utah Announces ECHL Affiliate
- The Utah Hockey Club has shored up its ECHL affiliation as the organization announced a one-year agreement with the Allen Americans of Allen, TX. The short length of the affiliate agreement may indicate that Utah is hoping to eventually organize a deal with the Utah Grizzlies of the ECHL after their current deal with the Colorado Avalanche concludes. The Americans started play in the ECHL for the 2014-15 season and immediately won back-to-back Kelly Cup Finals. In the meantime, the Americans have qualified for the playoffs in every season but one.
[SOURCE LINK]
- The Utah Hockey Club has shored up its ECHL affiliation as the organization announced a one-year agreement with the Allen Americans of Allen, TX. The short length of the affiliate agreement may indicate that Utah is hoping to eventually organize a deal with the Utah Grizzlies of the ECHL after their current deal with the Colorado Avalanche concludes. The Americans started play in the ECHL for the 2014-15 season and immediately won back-to-back Kelly Cup Finals. In the meantime, the Americans have qualified for the playoffs in every season but one.
IOC Officially Awards 2034 Olympics To Salt Lake City
- If the NHL continues to send its players to the Winter Olympics, they’ll have it on home turf in 2034. As expected, the International Olympic Committee officially awarded the Games to Salt Lake City today. While the Utah Hockey Club will play at the existing Delta Center in its first season, shared with the NBA’s Utah Jazz, there is momentum for building a new arena district downtown in advance of the Olympics that would serve as a new home for both the NBA and NHL clubs while likely serving as a host venue for the hockey portion of the Games.
Utah Signs First-Rounder Cole Beaudoin
11:12 a.m.: Utah has made Beaudoin’s signing official.
8:26 a.m.: The Utah Hockey Club has signed its second of two first-round picks from last month’s draft, inking center Cole Beaudoin to his three-year entry-level deal, per PuckPedia. The contract carries a $975K cap hit, broken down into an $877.5K NHL salary, $97.5K signing bonus and $85K minors salary each season. Utah has already inked top selection Tij Iginla.
Beaudoin, 18, was selected 24th overall out of the OHL’s Barrie Colts. Utah didn’t enter draft day with the pick, though – they acquired it in a pick swap with the Avalanche that sent the No. 38 and No. 71 overall selections, plus the Rangers’ 2025 second-rounder, to Colorado. The Ottawa-area native appeared in 67 games for the Colts last season, tying for second on the team in scoring with 62 points (28 goals, 34 assists) in 67 games.
Utah snagged Beaudoin in the early range of where most expected him to go, but still within expectations. NHL scouts polled by TSN’s Bob McKenzie had him at No. 23. He was also ranked by TSN’s Craig Button at No. 28 and Elite Prospects at No. 29. While his ceiling certainly isn’t among the highest in the draft, his projectable two-way game was universally praised and could lead to him playing a regular NHL role sooner rather than later. At 6’2″ and nearly 210 lbs, he already has NHL-ready size entering his post-draft season.
Elite Prospects says Beaudoin “eats up the boards, grinds them, spins off opponents, drags the puck out of traffic, and gets it to the middle of the ice” on a typical play. Beaudoin making his NHL debut as soon as this season seems far-fetched, but he could see professional ice in 2025-26. If he plays fewer than 10 NHL games this upcoming season, his ELC will slide to 2025-26, notably at a slightly reduced cap hit since his $97.5K signing bonus will be paid out regardless. Since he’s an April 2006 birthday, Utah could again slide his ELC to 2026-27 if he plays fewer than 10 games in 2025-26.
Utah RFA Victor Söderström Changes Representation, May Sign In Europe
Utah RFA defenseman Victor Söderström is switching representation as he tries to land a contract for next season. PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan reports he’s dropped his agent, which PuckPedia shows was Darren Ferris at Quartexx Management. Morgan also reports that Söderström, whom the Coyotes drafted with the 11th overall pick in 2019, may opt to play in a top-level European pro league this season rather than re-sign with Utah.
Last week, Morgan reported that Utah was also examining trade options for Söderström’s signing rights. Like his other Coyotes teammates last season, Söderström’s contract was bought as part of the deal that saw the Salt Lake City-based Smith Entertainment Group officially acquire all of the Coyotes’ hockey operations assets last month.
It’s the second time Söderström has changed representation. The Swedish blueliner was originally represented by JP Barry at CAA when he signed his entry-level contract five years ago but switched to Ferris at Quartexx early last year.
Söderström, 23, failed to land a full-time NHL role with the Yotes despite having ample opportunity over the past few years. Arizona had one of the league’s thinner blue lines in its final years of existence, but Söderström actually saw his NHL time dwindle last season. He played a career-high 30 games in 2022-23, all coming in the back half of the campaign, leading most to believe he’d at least work his way up to steadier bottom-pairing duties in 2023-24. However, he was demoted to AHL Tucson to begin the season and was recalled just twice throughout the year, logging three appearances with a -1 rating while going without a point.
The 6’0″, 190-lb defender has been a stable offensive presence in Tucson since coming to North America. He had a career-high 32 points (nine goals, 23 assists) in 62 games with the Roadrunners last year, but it wasn’t a big breakout. His 0.52 points per game average was in line with what he’s put up since arriving in 2021.
Once projected to be a defensively sound, cerebral talent, Söderström’s unexpected one-dimensionality has largely been what’s kept him from landing more NHL minutes. He’s posted a career -47 rating in 170 games with Tucson, and while that differential has improved every season since joining the Roadrunners, it only culminated in a career-high -8 last season. It was still the worst rating among Tucson defenders and second-worst on the team behind right-winger Austin Poganski’s -11.
But if he believes he’s ready for regular NHL action and will get buried by Utah next season, it makes sense why he’d look for more minutes in Europe or prefer a trade elsewhere (although an official trade request hasn’t been reported). After general manager Bill Armstrong traded for John Marino and Mikhail Sergachev and picked up Ian Cole in free agency, Söderström likely won’t have a spot in Utah’s opening night lineup. He’d have to leapfrog one of Michael Kesselring or Juuso Välimäki during training camp, which is an unlikely scenario.
Because they issued him a qualifying offer last month, Utah would retain Söderström’s NHL rights if he opted to head overseas. They’ll control his rights until his 27th birthday, which isn’t until February 2028. He could likely find a home with Brynäs IF of the Swedish Hockey League, whose system he played in from 2015 to 2020.
Utah Exploring Extension Or Trade With Victor Söderström
The Utah Hockey Club is reportedly exploring the possibility of either an extension or a trade of defenseman Victor Söderström, shares Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports (Twitter link). Söderström is Utah’s only remaining restricted free agent after the team extended both Barrett Hayton and Egor Sokolov last week.
Söderström’s contract is a bit harder to work out. The 2019 11th-overall pick failed to earn a consistent NHL role on his entry-level deal. He’s instead muddled between the NHL and AHL lineups, with his playing time becoming somewhat of a spectacle for Coyotes fans. Söderström has spent plenty of time with the NHL roster since his debut in 2021, though routine healthy scratches have limited him to just 53 games since. He’s done little with the chances, netting just one goal – scored in his third career game – and 10 assists at the NHL level. He similarly struggled to score in the AHL early in his career, with just 50 points through his three seasons and 108 games in the minor leagues. Söderström started to buck that trend this year, though, playing through his first full season spent in one spot since 2019-20. He posted nine goals and 32 points in 62 games with the Tuscon Roadrunners this season – career-highs in every category.
It was a promising year for the 23-year-old defender, even if his stat line didn’t jump off the page. Still, fans got a strong glimpse of what Söderström offers at a top level. He showed a strong ability to champion transition up the ice, with heads-up passing and strong positioning, helped along by an improving ability to close down opponents as they enter the attacking zone. While not high-scoring, Söderström showed he could bring those positives on a nightly basis, underlined by added confidence in stepping into space in the offensive end.
Söderström showed glimpses of a former blue-chip prospect this season, though he still seems far off from vindicating his top-15 draft selection. There are reasons to hold onto hope, though, as he showed distinct improvement under a consistent role. Matching that at the NHL level could pay dividends – and Utah has an open spot on their second pairing that Söderström could push for. But he’ll face distinct competition from Michael Kesselring, Juuso Valimaki, and top prospect Maveric Lamoureux for the role – having already lost a fight for minutes with the former two last season.
That competition is enough to have Utah gauging that Söderström may garner on the open market. It’s hard to think many teams would be quick to pay up for a former top prospect yet to vindicate his draft capital – nor is Utah likely too eager to make a move that won’t favor them with a signing still a possibility. This has all of the makings of trade winds bound to drag on for a while, but with an attractive offer, a new team could land the talents of a former top pick with plenty of room to grow next season.
Steven Kampfer Expected To Sign In KHL
Utah Hockey Club defenseman Steven Kampfer is expected to sign a one-year deal with the KHL’s Traktor Chelyabinsk, per Craig Morgan of Go PHNX Sports and Mikhail Zislis of Russia’s Sport-Express (Twitter link). The deal will take him out of unrestricted free agency in the NHL, after not re-signing with Utah. Kampfer will be returning to Russia after spending the 2021-22 season with the Kazan Ak-Bars. He proved plenty productive on the international trip, posting 30 points – a career-high in Kampfer’s professional career.
Once a stout seventh defenseman in the NHL, Kampfer’s role has since dwindled into a starring role in the minor leagues. Utah, then Arizona, traded for Kampfer ahead of the 2023 Trade Deadline, sending future considerations in return for the Tuscon Roadrunners’ new top defender. That’s exactly the role that Kampfer assumed, totaling 29 points in 60 games with the club since the trade and donning their captaincy this year.
Kampfer, 35, kicked off his pro career with a fourth-round selection in the 2007 NHL Draft, hearing his name called by the Anaheim Ducks though he’d begin his career three years later with the Boston Bruins. He showed stout defense and good grit in a 38-game rookie season in 2010-11, though Kampfer quickly struggled to score at the top level. He’d go on to spend the next 11 seasons bouncing between strong AHL minutes and minimal NHL minutes, ultimately slotting into just 231 career games and posting a measly 39 points. He’s bucked that trend a bit in the minors, with 170 points across 378 career games, though it’s clear that Kampfer’s best offense came overseas. He’ll return to that well next season, looking to make the most of the final years of his career.
Utah Signs Tij Iginla To Entry-Level Contract
The Utah Hockey Club has signed its first-ever selection in franchise history as the organization announced an entry-level contract for forward Tij Iginla. According to PuckPedia, Iginla will earn $877.5K at the NHL level with a signing bonus of $97.5K each season and $1MM worth of ’A’ Performance Bonuses included in each year of the deal.
The son of Hall of Fame forward Jarome Iginla officially joins the new Utah franchise after being selected with the sixth overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft. Iginla has spent the last two years in the Western Hockey League playing for the Seattle Thunderbirds and Kelowna Rockets and may very well end up back in Kelowna for the 2024-25 WHL season. During his rookie campaign in Seattle, Iginla scored six goals and 18 points in 48 games while playing with fellow Utah forward, Dylan Guenther. The Thunderbirds would eventually win the WHL playoffs but Iginla only factored into three games in the first round.
The Thunderbirds traded Iginla to his hometown Kelowna team and he was not viewed as a top draft prospect heading into the 2023-24 campaign. However, Iginla became one of the highest risers in the 2024 NHL Draft after scoring 13 goals and 21 points in the first 12 games of the season. He finished the year with 47 goals and 84 points in 64 games while posting another nine goals and 15 points through 11 postseason contests. Iginla also suited up for Team Canada in the 2024 under-18 World Junior Championship where he collected six goals and 12 points in seven tournament games en route to a gold medal.
Due to the depth up front possessed by Utah entering the 2024-25 season, it is highly unlikely that Iginla will crack the roster. However, after a near 50-goal campaign in the WHL last year, Iginla has little else to prove in major junior. It will be interesting to see where Utah places Iginla for the upcoming season as his development will surely be top of mind as the organization’s new top forward prospect.
Utah Signs Artem Duda To Entry-Level Contract
July 10: Utah announced the signing Wednesday morning.
July 9: The Utah Hockey Club has signed defenseman Artem Duda to a three-year entry-level contract (as per PuckPedia). The 20-year-old was the Arizona Coyotes second-round pick in 2022 (36th overall) and spent last season at Toronto Metropolitan University, where he tallied two goals and five assists in 12 games.
The two-way defenseman’s contract comes in with an average annual value of $950K at the NHL level and a salary of $82,500 if he plays in the American Hockey League. It also includes a $95K signing bonus.
The Moscow native was supposed to play at the University of Maine this past season but was deemed ineligible by the NCAA due to his time spent in the KHL. He made several unsuccessful appeals and eventually pivoted to playing in USports Hockey for the second half of the season.
Duda will likely find his way onto the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL as Utah has acquired defensemen Mikhail Sergachev and John Marino this offseason which has pushed him down the team’s depth chart. He is an excellent skater and has good size, but won’t wow people with his offensive skills or his shot. However, he is a good passer and is poised with the puck on his stick. Given his skill set, Duda should find his way into the NHL before the end of his ELC.