Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
- Players praise Utah as a potential NHL destination, citing positive experiences.
- Team owner Ryan Smith believes Utah could be a top NHL market.
- Utah's $22 million cap space offers flexibility to attract top free agents.
SALT LAKE CITY — Nick Bjugstad didn't want to make too strong of a pitch.
After all, the Utah Hockey Club forward is an unrestricted free agent this summer, and, well, he'd like to stick around. So when he was asked if he thought Utah could potentially attract some star free agents, he jokingly lied.
"Well, I'm a free agent, so it sucks here," he said with a laugh.
But then the truth quickly came out.
"I've been on a lot of different teams, so I've gotten to see different markets, different owners, and this is the best I've been treated as a player," he said. "Then you talk about the city, the people, and kind of the vibe around here, it's something that's exciting to be a part of."
It's no secret the Utah Jazz have struggled to attract marquee names. They aren't on any shortlists when players demand trades, and it's rare to even get meetings with top free agents.
However, there is a feeling that things will be different for the Utah Hockey Club. Team owner Ryan Smith has publicly stated that he believes Utah will be a "top three" market in the NHL, and the current Utah players don't seem to disagree with that statement.
"I think it should be," defenseman Mikhail Sergachev said. "Especially the guys who have families, kids. I think this is the place to be. I haven't seen anything better yet."
He praised the organization for helping set up his family so that he could solely focus on hockey during the season, and he quickly grew attached to the state, too.
"I love it here. Utah is my home now, and I think I could live here after I'm retired," he said. "So I love this place. People are very nice; it's great."
Veteran defenseman Ian Cole understands that some players will be attracted to the allure of the big cities or the major hockey markets, but he believes there are plenty of players who could find what they want in Utah.
"For the right person with the right mindset, this could be an amazing place," he said. "I know I love it. I think it's an amazing place to live, it's an amazing place to play, and our fans have been fantastic. And I think once people start to realize that, certainly there will be a lot of people who want to play here."
Players throughout the roster expressed similar sentiments.
Defenseman Sean Durzi: "One thing that you're not going to have to worry about is how well the organization has handled things and treats us. And then you look at the group and the direction we're heading in, it's got to be a destination."
Forward Dylan Guenther: "Everything's first class. Our new practice facility is just crazy nice. The players want to be here and they want to play here and they want to win in Utah."
Goaltender Karel Vejmelka: "I just love to play here. It's already like my home and just the community and the hockey fans are great. We couldn't ask for a better organization as a brand-new team. So it's just fun to play here and easy to live."
Forward Jack McBain: "The treatment, top down, is unbelievable. Living in Utah is amazing."
Forward Clayton Keller: "We have a great owner. We're gonna have one of the best, if not the best practice facilities, easy living, there's no traffic — all of us love living here. So, yeah, I don't think it'd be super hard to sell someone on the idea."
Even forward Michal Carcone, who said he would not be returning as he looked for more playing time, made it known that "whoever comes here next, it's going to be great."
Utah will have at least a couple of slots to fill this summer. Carcone is out, defenseman Robert Bortuzzo will likely retire, and the team has to decide on Bjugstad, defenseman Nick DeSimone, and two-way forward Kailer Yamamoto. Forward Jack McBain is a restricted free agent, but he's expected to return.
Utah should have roughly $22 million in cap space this offseason — enough flexibility to make a splash.
So who's available?
Toronto winger Mitch Marner (fresh off a 102-point season) is the prize of the unrestricted free agency class and could become the highest-paid player in the NHL due to the rising salary cap. He'll likely demand a deal worth $13-14 million.
Other potential targets include Vancouver forward Brock Boeser, Florida center Sam Bennett, and Winnipeg wing Nikolaj Ehlers. It'll be a good sign if Utah gets in conversations with those players (especially Marner), but don't expect the team to spend just to spend.
"We can pretty much get anything done in the league that we need to get done," general manager Bill Armstrong said. "But it doesn't mean that you spend unwisely."
That's true, but it's nice to have the option. And Utah thinks it will.
