Utah has the chance to rebuild their defensive core in their first off-season
With every day that passes, a new defenseman is reportedly hitting the open market this off-season.
Utah will likely pay close attention to the defensemen who hit the open market, as they have a unique opportunity to rebuild their defensive core in their first off-season.
Utah has three RFAs, Sean Durzi, J.J. Moser, and Juuso Valimaki, whom they will re-sign and who will be a part of their core going forward. After that, they will have two to three open spots, which will likely go to free-agent signings.
1. Matt Grzelcyk
Matt Grzelcyk has been with the Boston Bruins for the last eight seasons, where he has been a mainstay on their back end. Last season, unfortunately, he appeared to struggle and lost his spot.
If Grzelcyk does test free agency, then I'd expect Utah to target him. He can bring experience and point production to the back end, which is something that they lacked last season.
2. Brett Pesce
Brett Pesce is another defensive target for Utah. After spending nine seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes, he could be testing the open market this summer, and Utah should have him high on their list.
Pesce would be their top right-handed defenseman if they were to sign him. He is a solid two-way defenseman who can put up 25–30 points and act like your shutdown blue liner later in games.
3. Matt Roy
Matt Roy is going to be testing the open market this summer. After spending the last six seasons with the Los Angeles Kings, he has priced himself out and will look for a new opportunity.
Utah is a near-perfect fit for Roy; he can play on their top-pairing or second-pairing, depending on who else they bring in who can play the right side. Roy, like Pesce, can produce 25–30 points per season and shut it down late in games. After learning from Drew Doughty, Roy is well-prepared for a higher-leverage role, and he could get that in Utah.