With Utah Eliminated From Playoff Contention, What's Next?
Last night, the Utah Hockey Club was officially eliminated from playoff contention. They needed the Minnesota Wild to lose to the San Jose Sharks—but the Wild pulled out a wild 8–7 win in overtime.
So, what comes next for Utah?
First, we’ll finally learn what the team’s official name is going to be. All season, we’ve heard about various trademarks being submitted, and it eventually came down to three names in the final fan vote:
- Utah Hockey Club
- Utah Mammoths
- Utah Wasatch
There’s still no set date for the official announcement, but what we do know is that next season, Utah could have a brand-new identity.
Off the ice, it’s expected to be a very busy offseason. Reports suggest that the management group wants to be aggressive in free agency—and there’s a real chance they take some big swings. Names like Brock Boeser and Mitch Marner have already been floated as potential targets.
They could also make noise on the trade market. Utah was active last year at the NHL Draft, and with six picks in this year’s draft—and a team that’s already competitive—it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them flip picks for players.
The next few months are going to be fascinating. Utah has a strong ownership group, a smart GM in Bill Armstrong, and most importantly, a young, competitive roster that’s only going to get better.