Welcome back. It’s time to dive into Daily Faceoff’s second annual NHL Prospect Pool Breakdown, where we explore the top prospects from all 32 teams, their strengths, weaknesses, and more.
We consider players as “prospects” if they’ve played in 50 or fewer NHL games or spent more time outside the NHL last year. Skaters over 23 years old and goaltenders older than 25 are not included.
Today’s focus is on Utah HC. Welcome to the league, Utah! The new team replaces the Arizona Coyotes after a whirlwind of relocation rumors. They’ve got a solid pipeline and some early draft picks for 2024. Tij Iginla, son of Hockey Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla, was their first pick at No. 6 in Vegas, followed by Cole Beaudoin later on Day 1. With young talents like Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther now full-time players, there’s potential for excitement .
Fans might think this team has a shot at making the playoffs in 2024-25 with all these moves, even if they’re not favorites for one of the eight Western Conference spots.
Still, with new ownership and market dynamics, there’s hope that this group can finally become competitive. It would be huge for hockey if they did.
Biggest Strengths
This team is built tough. With big players like Dmitri Simashev, Daniil But, Maveric Lamoureux adding size and toughness from Iginla and Beaudoin to tenacious Maksymilian Szuber—GM Bill Armstrong has emphasized creating a hard-to-play-against squad. Six skaters stand over 6-foot-3 on the main roster; they’re core pieces too.
Biggest Weakness
Utah needs more help on the wing. If Iginla moves back to center as he wishes, they lack speed and skill on the wings. Even now, their main roster lacks game-breaking skill on Cooley’s wing—a long-term solution is necessary here but they do have several picks in upcoming drafts to address this issue.
Fast Facts:
NHL GM: Bill Armstrong
Dir. of Player Development: Lee Stempniak
AHL Affiliate: Tucson Roadrunners
ECHL Affiliate: Allen Americans
What do you think about Utah’s chances?
