Next week, the Utah Hockey Club will be playing their first game since the franchise relocated from Arizona.
The 2024 NHL Draft will begin on Friday, June 28 at 5:00 pm MDT at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada and will be broadcast on ESPN. Utah will have the sixth pick in the first round and 12 overall picks in the draft, including the 38th and 49th overall picks in the second round.
With a solid scoring core of Clayton Keller (33 goals, 43 assists), Nick Schmaltz (22 goals, 39 assists) and Matthias Macelli (17 goals, 40 assists), plus Lawson Clowes (23 goals, 19 assists) and Logan Cooley (20 goals, 24 assists), Utah will likely be looking for a defenseman high in the draft.
Here are four top prospects the Utah Hockey Club could select with the sixth pick.
Zeev Bouium — Corey Pronman, The Athletic, Mike Morreale, NHL.com
position: Defenseman
Previous teams: University of Denver.
height, weight: He is 6 feet tall and weighs 186 pounds.
What they're saying:“Utah likes big guys. I don't think that's much of a secret. They also need more defensive talent, and a guy like Sam Dickinson or Carter Jakemchak could be a candidate for the No. 6 spot. But they also need a guy who can run the power play, so I could see them looking at Buium as a No. 6 option because he's good enough at defense. Beckett Senneke could make sense here, too, if they decide to move forward.” — Pronman
Beckett Senneke — Chris Peters, FloHockey
position: Right wing
Previous teams: Oshawa Generals (Ontario Hockey League)
height, weight: He is 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighs 181 pounds.
What they're saying:Utah has some notable needs and I wouldn't be surprised to see them address the defense here, but the buzz around Senneke is real. He's grown tremendously throughout his time in the OHL, is approaching 6'3″ tall and has great handles and scoring ability. On top of that, he's still figuring out how to use his big body and his best is yet to come.” — Peters
Sam Dickinson — Adam Kimmelman, NHL.com
position: Defenseman
Previous teams: London (Ontario Hockey League)
height, weight: He is 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 194 pounds.
What they're saying:His high hockey IQ helps him gauge when to jump into plays in the offensive zone or find teammates to induce a rush using his excellent puck-moving abilities. The 18-year-old remains calm and in control even when the game is in the heat. Utah has nicely constructed a plus-size defenseman with 2023 No. 6 draft pick Dmitry Simashev (6-4, 198) and 2022 NHL Draft No. 29 pick Maverick Lamoureux (6-6, 196). Dickinson (6-3, 203) would fit nicely into that group.” — Peters
Tiji Iginla — Craig Button, TSN
position: Left wing
Previous teams: Kelowna (Ontario Hockey League)
height, weight: He is 6 feet tall and weighs 185 pounds.
What they're saying:“Iginla is always the first to the ball. When he gets on the boards with an opponent, he steps into their space to throw them off balance. He goes out of his way to initiate contact, sometimes momentarily leaving the puck behind to intercept the opponent with his shoulder. On the rare occasions when he doesn't get first touch on the puck, he hooks an opponent's foot on the boards or times a perfect stick lift.” — EliteProspects 2024 NHL Draft Guide
