The Utah Hockey Club just participated in their first NHL Trade Deadline. While there wasn’t much action out of Utah, the day could still be considered a success.
GM Bill Armstrong spoke with the media after the deadline and shared insight into the team’s approach.
When asked about the decision to trade Shea Weber’s contract along with Aku Räty and Victor Söderström to the Chicago Blackhawks, Armstrong described it as “a little bit of housekeeping on our end.”
The move gives Utah an extra $8 million in cap space heading into the offseason, fueling speculation that the organization is preparing to spend big this summer in pursuit of top-tier talent.
Some of the notable pending free agents include:
- Mitch Marner
- Sam Bennett
- Nikolaj Ehlers
- Aaron Ekblad
- Brock Boeser
- Ivan Provorov
If any of these names hit the open market, expect Utah to make a serious push to land a big piece.
They also have the draft capital and good prospects that could help them acquire a good piece or two to help this roster.
The next few months will be crucial for Utah. They’re a promising up-and-coming team with plenty of cap space and appear ready to spend up to the cap to take the next step.
