The NHL's trade deadline has come and gone, and now it is time to look at teams' free agents as they gear up for the playoffs.
For the Utah Hockey Club, they have five pending unrestricted free agents (UFA) and just one restricted free agent (RFA) on their roster.
Utah made a small deal at the deadline, trading Shea Weber's contract, which cleared up $8 million in cap space. This gives them roughly $23 million in cap space to make a splash this summer.
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Unrestricted Free Agents:
- Nick Bjugstad
- Michael Carcone
- Robert Bortuzzo
- Nick DeSimone
- Jaxson Stauber
At first glance, there isn't a big name on this list. There’s no Mitch Marner or Ivan Provorov, but when you take a deeper look, you'll see Nick Bjugstad’s name. He may not be the flashiest name, but he is a player the organization loves and would like to extend.
Another name that will likely be extended is Jaxson Stauber. He is a young, reliable backup goalie who can step in and help when there are injuries to either Karel Vejmelka or Connor Ingram.
Other than that, Robert Bortuzzo, Nick DeSimone, and Michael Carcone are all names that could hit the open market and find new homes. Utah has other internal options and potential free-agent signings that could replace them.
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The NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone and while other NHL teams made moves to address needs to replace injuries. The Utah Hockey Club decided to make a minor trade with the Chicago Blackhawks to clear cap space for next season. But didn’t bring in any reinforcements, giving their roster the ultimate vote of confidence.
Restricted Free Agents:
- Jack McBain
The lone RFA on the roster, Jack McBain, will be qualified and extended—there is no question about that. He plays an important role on the team and brings an element of physicality and protection that the young stars need.
If Utah can take care of the rest of their business leading up to the July 1 deadline, they can focus all their attention on which players they want to target in free agency.
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