Breaking down Utah Hockey Club’s prospect pool

As exciting as it is for Utah to have an NHL team, the on-ice product could be a little underwhelming during the first few years of the team’s existence.

When it was the Arizona Coyotes, the club made the playoffs just once between 2012 and 2024.

Rather than aiming for the Stanley Cup in Year 1, Utah Hockey Club general manager Bill Armstrong told NHL Network in early August that he just wants the team to be competitive.

“Our goal is to play meaningful games,” Armstrong said. “This is a good point to be (at). There’s some good players coming in and we’re building something special here.”

The Utah/Arizona group had the most selections in each of the last two drafts. Having missed the playoffs so frequently, lots of those picks were in the top 10. No prospect is guaranteed to turn into an NHL superstar, but the higher a player is selected, the more likely he is to play in the league.

Here’s a breakdown of Utah’s top prospects. A “prospect” in this case is classified as anyone with less than a full season — 82 games — of NHL experience or anyone 20 years old or younger.

Logan Cooley

• Drafted : First round, No. 3 overall, 2022
• Position : Center
• Height : 5 feet, 10 inches
• Weight : 174 pounds

Logan Cooley has exactly 82 games of NHL experience, but his age still qualifies him for this list.

He showed sparks of greatness in his first-ever NHL preseason game, dancing around the likes of two-time Selke Trophy winner Anze Kopitar to score one of the prettiest goals of all time.

Cooley’s flashiness may have come down a notch as the season progressed, but his production did not. He finished fourth in scoring among NHL rookies last year.

If things keep trending in this direction for the 20-year-old, he’ll be a top-10 forward in the league for years to come.

Dylan Guenther

• Drafted : First round, No. 9 overall, 2021
• Position : Right wing
• Height : 6 feet, 2 inches
• Weight : 175 pounds

In one of the most productive trades in franchise history, the Coyotes acquired the ninth-overall pick in the 2021 draft, with which they selected Dylan Guenther — much to the dismay of Vancouver Canucks fans, who drool over the player they missed out on.

Guenther had the second-most points per game among 20-year-olds who played more than one game last season, behind only Wyatt Johnston of the Dallas Stars.

At this rate, Guenther projects to be a bona fide first-line winger.

Josh Doan

• Drafted : Second round, No. 37 overall, 2021
• Position : Right wing
• Height : 6 feet, 1 inch
• Weight : 183 pounds

When your dad leads the franchise in games played, goals, assists and points, you have big shoes to fill. That was the case for Josh Doan , whose father, Shane, is Coyotes royalty. With the move to Utah, Shane’s records are immortalized with the Coyotes franchise and Josh is free to pursue the top of Utah’s record book.

Doan scored two goals in his NHL debut last season, then followed it up with a two-assist effort the next game. He ended the year with nine points in 11 games, leaving high expectations for his sophomore year.

It’s probably too early to accurately predict Doan’s ceiling, but he looks to be a legitimate, full-time NHLer at the very least.

Tij Iginla

• Drafted : First round, No. 6 overall, 2024
• Position : Center
• Height : 6 feet
• Weight : 186 pounds

Another player who steps out of his father’s shadow with the move to Utah is Tij Iginla. Iginla’s father, Jarome, was a first-ballot Hockey Hall of Famer and is to the Calgary Flames what Shane Doan is to the Coyotes.

In Utah, however, Tij will be known far more by his own name than his father’s.

Iginla started the season as a projected third-round pick after an unproductive 2022-23 season with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL. Then, a trade sent him to his hometown Kelowna Rockets, where he was able to play higher in the lineup and have a bigger impact on the game. His 47 goals and 84 points in 64 games paid off when he heard his name called sixth overall at the NHL draft in June.

If Cooley becomes the first-line center that he seems to be, Iginla will likely find a home at the second-line center position.

Dmitry Simashev

• Drafted : First round, No. 6 overall, 2023
• Position : Left defense
• Height : 6 feet, 4 inches
• Weight : 198 pounds

Armstrong went off the board during the 2023 draft, selecting Dmitry Simashev over higher-ranked prospects such as Matvei Michkov and Ryan Leonard.

Simashev is a big defenseman, not unlike Armstrong himself. The difference between the two is that Simashev will likely be a first-pairing NHL defenseman, while Armstrong spent his whole career in the minors.

Along with KHL teammate and fellow Utah prospect Daniil But, Simashev progressed to the Gagarin Cup finals this season, ultimately getting swept by Metallurg Magnitogorsk.

Daniil But

• Drafted : First round, No. 12 overall, 2023
• Position : Left wing
• Height : 6 feet, 6 inches
• Weight : 216 pounds

Big forwards often have trouble handling the puck at a high level. That’s not the case with Daniil But.

He’s got the size of Nikita Zadorov and the poise of Evgeni Malkin. Those two attributes, when combined, amount to an exciting prospect, to say the least.

But took a massive leap forward in his development this year, scoring 10 goals and 21 points in 55 KHL games. He and fellow Utah prospect Dmitry Simashev also found roles on Lokomotiv Yaroslavl’s special teams, which is atypical of the KHL to grant to younger players.

Without getting too excited, note that at the same age, Kirill Kaprizov had 11 goals and 27 points in 53 KHL games and Artemi Panarin had five goals and 21 points in 40 games. If But’s progression continues at this rate, he could become a top winger in the NHL.

Michael Hrabal

• Drafted : Second round, No. 38 overall, 2023
• Position : Goalie
• Height : 6 feet, 6 inches
• Weight : 209 pounds

On social media lists of young goalies with high potential, Michael Hrabal usually finds himself near the top. His size gives him an immediate advantage, and he also has the athleticism to play the bottom of the net with ease.

In 30 NCAA games with the University of Massachusetts this season, Hrabal posted a .912 save percentage and a 2.59 goal-against average. He also recorded similar numbers at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup for Team Czechia over the summer.

Goalies typically take longer than other players to develop, but once Hrabal is ready, Utah likely has its No. 1 goalie.

Cole Beaudoin

• Drafted : First round, No. 24 overall, 2024
• Position : Center
• Height : 6 feet, 2 inches
• Weight : 209 pounds

Utah’s management team saw something special in Cole Beaudoin, causing them to trade picks 38 and 71 for pick 24, with which they selected Beaudoin. They did this despite the fact that most outlets projected him to be selected around No. 38, give or take a few spots.

Beaudoin fell just shy of a point per game this season with the OHL’s Barrie Colts. He’s a big guy who wins battles along the boards. He’s got a drive in him that could propel him toward success at the NHL level.

All that being said, those traits align with bottom-six forwards just as much as they do with top-six forwards.

Maveric Lamoureux

• Drafted : First round, No. 29 overall, 2022
• Position : Right defense
• Height : 6 feet, 7 inches
• Weight : 214 pounds

If it wasn’t already clear that Armstrong and company value big players, here’s another one.

Maveric Lamoureux stands at 6-foot-7, which would tie him with Logan Stanley and Jamie Oleksiak for third-tallest player in the NHL if he were to play this season.

Lamoureux most notably uses his size to punish opponents, even putting one through the glass a couple seasons ago. He has fought a couple times, though the QMJHL implemented strict punishments for fighting last season.

Expect to see him drop the gloves on occasion with the Tucson Roadrunners in the AHL this year, as long as his health permits him to do so.

The only wrench in the mix for Lamoureux is a nagging shoulder injury — one that sidelined him for the latter part of last season, including the entire playoffs. It also kept him out for the first 33 games of the previous season.

He’s reportedly healthy again, but a recurring injury like this can be worrisome.

Maksymilian Szuber

• Drafted : Sixth round, No. 163 overall, 2022
• Position : Left defense
• Height : 6 feet, 3 inches
• Weight : 190 pounds

In his first season of pro hockey, Maksymilian Szuber carved out an important role for himself with the Roadrunners. He played both offensive and defensive minutes and showed incredible responsibility in both areas. He also plays the physical type of game that Armstrong likes.

Szuber got the call to suit up for the Coyotes near the end of the season, recording two penalty minutes and logging 17 minutes of playing time.

He will likely start the season with the Roadrunners, but provided that he keeps up his pace from last season, he could find a full-time role with Utah HC as early as this season.

Owen Allard

• Drafted : Fifth round, No. 135 overall, 2024
• Position : Center
• Height : 6 feet, 2 inches
• Weight : 190 pounds

Utah hockey fans have wondered about Owen Allard since the club selected him in the fifth round of this year’s draft. Here’s his story.

Allard was a seventh-round pick of the Soo Greyhounds in the 2020 OHL draft, so nobody expected him to play that next season. Truth be told, nobody played that next year as the OHL canceled its season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So, like many other OHL players, he dominated a European league for the year. When OHL action returned in 2021, Allard not only made the team, but made a big impact.

However, he didn’t produce enough to get drafted into the NHL that year, so he accepted an invitation to attend the Ottawa Senators’ development camp. While there, he tore a labrum, forcing him to sit most of the following season. Because he hardly played, he went another year without getting drafted.

Many were surprised to see Allard make Team Canada’s World Junior Championship roster in December, being the only undrafted skater on the team. Nevertheless, he defied expectations yet again, tallying three points in five games for his country.

Allard went on to score 18 goals and 44 points in 55 games for the Greyhounds this year. Though those numbers are impressive for a draft-eligible player, Allard is two years older than most of his draft class and thus has physical advantages over most of his competition. There’s no guarantee that he will play in the NHL, but Allard’s tenacity is a valuable asset to anyone with high ambitions.

He’s set to play one more season with the Greyhounds before going pro.

Will Skahan

• Drafted : Second round, No. 65 overall, 2024
• Position : Left defense
• Height : 6 feet, 4 inches
• Weight : 216 pounds

Like many others in the Utah prospect pool, Will Skahan is a large, physical presence with lots of grit and determination. He’s a product of both Shattuck St. Mary’s and the United States National Team Development Program — two of the top hockey programs in the world.

Skahan can score, though playing for such deep teams, he’s resorted to a more defensive role of late. He’s a Swiss Army knife that his coaches can deploy in almost any situation.

It’s hard to project where Skahan will play if he eventually cracks the Utah roster, but he’s on the right track to get there.

Aku Räty

• Drafted : Fifth round, No. 151 overall, 2019
• Position : Right wing
• Height : 6 feet
• Weight : 190 pounds

Let’s clarify some misinformation that’s been circulating about Aku Räty. First, his last name is pronounced “Ra-too,” not “Ra-tee.”

Second, he is not to be confused with his younger brother, Aatu Räty, who plays in the Vancouver Canucks organization. Aatu was a 2021 second-round pick who was presumed to go first overall until he ran into some difficulties during his draft year. Aku, on the other hand, was a fifth-round pick. The expectations of him have always been much leaner than those of his brother.

That being said, Aku Räty’s development has progressed to the point where he placed second in team scoring for the Roadrunners last season. His sole NHL opportunity was the Coyotes’ final game, where he managed an assist.

If he doesn’t make the team out of training camp, he will likely be one of their first call-ups.

What to know about NHL prospects

New hockey fans, be aware that NHL prospects typically take several years to develop into full-time NHL players. Apart from the first few players selected in each draft, it’s almost unheard of for anyone to see big-league ice immediately after getting drafted.

There are also rules for which prospects can play in the NHL. Everything hinges upon where the player last played.

Players who come from the CHL — the Canadian major junior league comprised of the WHL, OHL and QMJHL — are allowed to play in the NHL and the CHL, but not the AHL. Once they turn 20, they age out of the CHL and are therefore allowed to play wherever their NHL teams assign them.

Players from the NCAA can’t return to college hockey if they’ve played in a pro league. For that reason, they commit to one or the other at the start of the season. That decision is typically made jointly between the player, his family and the team that owns his rights. Some players decide to turn pro after concluding their seasons in the NCAA, which end before the NHL season does. They join their respective NHL teams near the end of the regular season, indicating that they aren’t going back to college the following year.

Players from Europe are only eligible to play in North America when their European contracts have concluded. This is most often an issue with Russian players. In Utah’s case, Simashev and But are both under contract for another year, so unless Utah and Lokomotiv Yaroslavl come to an agreement to let the players go, they’ll both spend the year in Russia.

European contracts conclude when the team is knocked out of the playoffs. The European hockey schedule typically concludes months earlier than the NHL schedule, so players occasionally sign with NHL teams just before the trade deadline. Coyotes fans might remember when Harri Sateri did this in 2022.