The Utah Hockey Club is in the spotlight as it tries to make a major impact in its first season. Which player could be potential trade bait, and which skater is untouchable?

As the NHL’s 2024 off-season continues to unfold, we’re continuing THN.com’s Hot Seat Radar articles with the Utah Hockey Club. 

In this feature, we’re looking at each NHL team in reverse alphabetical order and picking one player, coach or management member on the 'hot seat' – someone with great pressure to produce positive results. In addition, we’re also pointing out a second individual who is on the 'cold seat' as someone quite likely to remain with their current team for a long time to come.

Utah’s Hot Seat: Karel Vejmelka, G

Very quietly, Vejmelka has grown into a solid starting NHL goalie. But this past season, the 28-year-old had a .897 save percentage and 3.35 goals-against average – not great numbers but not the be-all and end-all considering what he's been able to do before on a rebuilding team.

Indeed, in the two seasons before last season, Vejmelka appeared in a combined 102 games. The Czech can take on a massive workload, and with Utah’s slew of improvements, he has every opportunity to raise his game to new heights.

That said, Vejmelka’s tandem mate in Utah, 27-year-old Connor Ingram (2.91 GAA, .907 SP) took over starting duties last season with 50 games played. 

Given that Vejmelka is about to enter the final season of his contract, which pays him an average annual value of $2.725 million, he must step up and prove himself worthy of a long-term investment from the franchise.

If Vejmelka does come through with above-average numbers in 2024-25, he can get a raise and be part of the long-term solution between Utah’s pipes. Otherwise, he could have to settle for a smaller raise or a similar cap hit on his next deal. He could continue to be potential trade bait as well, regardless of performance, if Ingram plays better and Utah's looking for upgrades elsewhere. The stakes are high for Vejmelka, and how he responds to the challenge before him will dictate whether he stays or goes as Utah attempts to take the next step in its current competitive cycle. 

Utah’s Cold Seat: Clayton Keller, LW

There has at times been some speculation and talk about whether Keller could be a trade asset, whether it was swapping him for William Nylander or Mitch Marner from the Toronto Maple Leafs. But that's just not happening.

This writer never really bought into those discussions, chiefly because the 25-year-old – who posted 33 goals and 76 points in 78 games this past season – has a fantastic contract that pays him an average annual amount of $7.15 million through the 2027-28 campaign. That’s tremendous value for a point-per-game player who still isn’t at his competitive peak. 

Trading Keller would be a colossal blunder for Utah, and so long as Keller continues making a major impact, he’s going to be an integral part of this franchise for as long as he cares to.

To be sure, Utah can’t depend on just Keller to carry them into the playoffs, but he’s one of the veterans who has suffered through years of disappointment in Arizona. Now, it’s time for him and his teammates to raise the bar for themselves. And there’s really no question he is going to be a crucial component in Utah’s blueprint for success. 

The best days are still to come for Keller and his team, and that’s why Utah fans should be very excited to see how their new team and their best player perform in 2024-25. A 40-goal, 80-point season isn’t at all unreasonable to expect from Keller this year, and there’s still room for him to evolve into one of the most elite forwards in the current NHL.