The NHL's Utah Hockey Club means business after acquiring Mikhail Sergachev and John Marino on Day 2 of the draft. Mikhail Sergachev [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjA3NDk4ODAxNDU0MjYxNzAz/usatsi_22127706_168400847_lowres.jpg] Mikhail Sergachev Moments after acquiring a pair of defenseman on Day 2 of the NHL draft, Utah GM Bill Armstrong was on the phone with one of his newest players, hyping him up on what to expect from the newly relocated franchise. "You're going to love the guys here," said Armstrong. "You're going to help us win a championship." When exactly that will be is not yet known. A day earlier, after selecting Tij Iginla with the No. 6 overall pick, Armstrong had tempered expectations by saying that Utah was not concerned with trying to make a splash in free agency. Instead, the team just wanted to continue its rebuild — one that Armstrong hinted could take 14 years. "It’s hard to even predict that we’re going to make the playoffs," Armstrong said. "It’s almost setting yourself up for failure. How we want to approach the year is looking at it this way: we achieved so many points last year and we need to take a step from there. But not a giant step. Just a progression. "I went through the rebuild for 14 years in St. Louis and won a championship in the end. It takes a while." Well, it might not take that long. Not after the moves that Utah made on Saturday. Following its pick of Iginla, the team acquired Mikhail Sergachev from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for Conor Geekie, J.J. Moser, the 199th pick and a 2025 second-rounder. Minutes later, Utah traded the 49th pick and a second-rounder in 2025 for New Jersey's John Marino. Sergachev, who helped Tampa Bay win back-to-back Stanley Cups, is considered a top-pairing defenseman. On a team like Utah, he is a No. 1. Marino, meanwhile, has made the playoffs in each of his four seasons in the NHL. By trading Sergachev, the Lightning free up $8.5-million in cap space. That amount could come in handy if the team decides to re-sign pending free agent Steven Stamkos. As for Utah, the two defensemen might not make them a playoff team. But combined with the young talent already on the roster, they should make a team that finished with the second-worst record in the Central Division. "It’s hard to say that Logan Cooley is going to lead us to a Stanley Cup in a year," Armstrong said of the team's first-round pick from 2022. "It’s something that we have to tailor our expectations for the year. I understand and I believe that we have the most talented prospects in the NHL coming in en masse. So it’s an exciting time for the organization, but I don’t want to get ahead of ourselves by adding huge free agents." Indeed, the excitement is starting to pick up for the yet-to-be-named hockey franchise, who may have settled on a name. “When we hit Pick 5, that’s when we knew he would be a Utah Yeti," Armstrong said of Iginla, accidentally leaking what could be the team's name. “I’m not allowed to pick the name, but I think the little kids in Utah vote about 25 times a day, so I think they got it.” Get the latest news and trending stories right to your inbox by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here [https://info.thehockeynews.com/mail/microsites/951/1/gTeQVf?_gl=1*ustlbj*_ga*NjkyMzUxMy4xNjYzNjIwMzQ3*_ga_PK63FB1PME*MTcxMzUwOTExNi40NDguMS4xNzEzNTA5MjA5LjU5LjAuMA..].
