Apr 14, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Utah Hockey Club right wing Josh Doan (91) and goaltender Matt Villalta (31) celebrate the win against the Nashville Predators during the third period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

The odds were stacked against Utah to move up in the draft in anyway. The team had only the 14th-best odds in the draft, third worse in the draft with only Vancouver and Calgary having worse odds.

So when the first draw for the No. 1 overall pick saw Utah eliminated from winning the lottery, it was no surprise, though it was certainly surprising to see the 10th-placed New York Islanders land the pick.

But when the second draw came, the ping pong balls kept falling in Utah's favor, with the combination of 1-5-12 and, ultimately, lucky number 4 winning Utah Hockey Club the second draw.

Though Utah couldn't move up to second overall pick in the draft due to Utah only being allowed to move up 10 spots from No. 14 to No. 4, the Club couldn't be more ecstatic.

"Your mind just totally switches to who’s available that you can get at four, its’ really exciting times for us," said Bill Armstrong, Utah's General Manager. "It's gonna be a great challenge for us to kind of go back and look at some of the players that are available in that spot and go to work."

When the Wild's 8-7 win over the San Jose Sharks officially eliminated Utah from playoff contention, Utah was left hoping that all of its hard work would carry over into next season.

With no playoffs to prepare for, all Utah had left was to prepare for the offseason, get much needed rest during offseason and look to the upcoming draft.

And while Utah is surely happy with the growth shown by the team — resulting in a 12-point jump in the standings from last year and consistent competitive play against top teams towards the back half of the season — finishing as one of the six lottery teams with no chance at the No. 1 overall pick had to sting a bit.

But now, Utah Hockey Club gets to “have its cake and eat it too,” experiencing the benefits of a struggling team despite being a fringe playoff contender for most of the year.

"[Usually] it's a tough year as a franchise to go through that, that struggle just to be able to get into that range to pick at four," said Armstrong. "But we didn’t have to do that. We were a pretty good team that chased it down the stretch, playing meaningful games and chasing a playoff spot. We’re getting to that point where we’re becoming a really good team that has a chance at getting into the playoffs."

Utah was already in a good position to improve on this past season with its young roster developing and much of the core kept intact through a slew of extensions. Utah also hopes that when some of its top prospects join the team, the club will improve even more.

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With Utah set to be an attractive market in free agency, having the No. 4 pick will only help the team add top-end talent, whether through the draft or a potential trade, with Armstrong saying, "We'll never shut that door.

"Truly an incredible day for us here. We’re going to have the opportunity to pick a real good play high in the draft and take a big swing here," said Armstrong. "It's going to be exciting."

Whoever Utah decides to take is sure to draw excitement from a fanbase that has already become very invested in the team.

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