2024-25 Utah Hockey Club Predictions and Odds to Win Stanley Cup Finals
Last season, the Utah Hockey Club -- or the Arizona Coyotes -- were terrible in their final season in Arizona. They finished with just 77 points on a -18-goal differential, finishing ahead of just the Chicago Blackhawks in the Central Division. Despite making some improvements last season, the Coyotes averaged just 4,600 fans per game. This was dead last in the league and nearly 9,000 less than the Winnipeg Jets (31st).
The offense improved significantly last season, compared to 2022-23. They finished with 256 goals, which ranked in 16th in the league. The Coyotes also finished in the middle of the pack with a 21.9% PP%, while their penalty kill was one of the worst in the league as they killed off just 76.3% of their opponent’s man advantages. Clayton Keller led the team with 76 points on a team leading 33 goals and 43 assists. Nick Schmaltz was second on the Coyotes with 61 points on 22 goals and 39 assists. Keller and Schmaltz were joined by Nick Bjugstad, Logan Cooley, Lawson Crouse, and Michael Carcone as the other Coyotes to record 20 or more goals.
Arizona allowed 274 goals, which was the ninth most in the NHL last season. The Coyotes had three different goalies appear in games last season. Connor Ingram appeared in 50 games, going 23-21-3 while allowing 2.91 GA/G on a .907 SV%. Karel Vejmelka was not good backing Ingram up. He allowed 3.29 GA/G in his 38 games last season while Matt Villalta allowed 4.17 GA/G on a .828 SV% in his two games.
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Seasons come and go, so now it’s time to take a look at what we can expect from the Utah Hockey Club in 2024-25:
Utah Hockey Club Key Additions/Losses
Aside from relocating cities, the team hasn’t changed much. They had a few role players depart, as Josh Brown (10 points) and Travis Dermott (seven points) found new homes during the summer, while they traded former first round pick in Conor Geekie, along with J.J. Moser (26 points), in a deal with Tampa Bay.
Their additions should propel this team forward. In the trade with the Lightning, they added Mikhail Sergachev, who should be a great presence for this team. He tallied 19 points in 34 games last season, while notching 64 points in the season before that. They continued to add depth at the blueline as they added John Marino in a deal with New Jersey. Marino notched 25 points on four goals and 21 assists last season. Utah also added forward Kevin Stenlund (15 points) and defenseman Ian Cole (11 points) in free agency.
Utah Hockey Club X-Factors
The New City- The Coyotes had little to no support year in and year out as they failed to fill up the seats. Now the city of Salt Lake City has taken on the new and, should be, improved Utah Hockey Club. Maybe a new location and a fresh set of fans is all this franchise needs to get into the playoff picture at some point.
The Young Guys- Logan Cooley tallied 20 goals last season at just 19 years old. Now 20 and a with a whole NHL season under his skates, Cooley should continue to improve and showcase his skill and boost the production from the second line. Dylan Guenther recorded 35 points last season and is just 21 years old. He is paired with Cooley on that second line, so his development alongside his young counterpart is crucial for the offensive production of this team. Their third line is projected to have an average age of 23 years old. This is a rebuilding squad, but there is already proven production at the NHL level.
Utah Hockey Club Goalie Outlook
Unfortunately for the Hockey Club, the same three goalies are forecasted to return in the crease. Connor Ingram produced fine numbers, but he can’t go every single night. Utah will need to upgrade between the pipes at some point, even if it is just adding a veteran backup, as Karel Vejmelka has allowed an average of 3.49 GA/G over the course of his three-year career while Matt Villalta has a long way to go before he can be considered a consistent presence in the NHL. Utah won’t be in the playoff picture this season, but the team is long overdue for a goalie upgrade.
Grade: C+
Utah Hockey Club Key Schedule Stretch
The Whole Season- The inaugural season of the Utah Hockey Club will go a long way in determining if Salt Lake City is capable of carrying an NHL team. After averaging less than 5,000 fans per game last season, it will be interesting to see the kind of crowds that will await the Hockey Club throughout the season. With some exciting young talent on the way, there is a lot to like in terms of the direction of the franchise. So, hopefully they get some support from their fans and see a boost on the ice as a result.
Utah Hockey Club Notable Odds
Stanley Cup Champions: +7500
Conference Winner: +3900
Division Winner: +2200
To Make the Playoffs- Yes: +164
Jack Adams Award- Andre Tourigny: +1700
Norris Trophy- Mikhail Sergachev: +12000
Vezina Trophy- Connor Ingram: +4500
Utah Hockey Club Prediction
Though the new city brings some excitement around these guys, they are still a subpar hockey team and are not going to make the playoffs. They added some key blueliners to build around in addition to their budding stars in Logan Cooley, Dylan Guenther, and Josh Doan. However, they are still a long way off from being a competitive team in the NHL. Even with the offseason acquisitions, there is little reason to believe this team will hit the over the Team Point total. Mikhail Sergachev, along with the other offseason moves, does not equal a 10-point improvement from last season, especially with the big question marks between the pipes.
Under 86.5 Team Total Points
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