John Wawrow – AP Hockey Writer
LAS VEGAS (AP) — When Ryan Smith, the dynamic and decisive owner of the NHL's newest franchise, was asked to assess the timeline for his team's gradual rebuild, he was probably alluding to the Utah Hockey Club's approach.
“We're comfortable with where we are,” Smith said, “so we're constantly checking in on that. That's the plan until it's not the plan.”
Smith made the comments Friday just under an hour before the first round of the NHL draft, and about 18 hours later, about 30 minutes into the second round on Saturday, it became clear that Utah's plans have apparently accelerated since relocating from Arizona to Salt Lake City.
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Utah made two trades just minutes apart on Saturday, acquiring two-time Stanley Cup champion Mikhail Sergachev from Tampa Bay in a blockbuster trade and acquiring fellow defenseman John Marino from New Jersey.
“This morning, I got about two minutes of sleep, woke up and said, 'Let's shock the world,'” general manager Bill Armstrong said.
All of the constraints that existed under former Coyotes owner Alex Merullo have been lifted by Smith, 46, who made his fortune in technology and is now transforming Utah sports as owner of the NBA Jazz and MLS team Real Salt Lake.
A murmur spread among the Sphere crowd when NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly announced the Sergachev trade early in the second round, in which Utah sent defenseman J.J. Moser, prospect forward Connor Geekie, a 2025 second-round pick and the 199th pick in this year's draft.
Daly returned to the microphone shortly afterward to let fans and hockey folks know that Utah isn't done yet, acquiring Marino and the 153rd pick from the Devils in exchange for No. 49 and Edmonton's 2025 second-round pick.
Smith and Armstrong warned they won't get overspending when free agency opens on Monday, but that doesn't mean they won't strengthen their team in other ways over the two-day draft weekend.
The team entered the draft with 13 picks, and Armstrong followed through with his intention to use some of them as assets: After using the team's No. 1 pick to select forward Tige Iginla (son of Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla) with the sixth pick, Armstrong traded three picks to Colorado, moving up 14 spots to select center Cole Beaudoin with the 24th pick.
“It worked out just as we envisioned it,” Armstrong said.
Trading Sergachev and his $8.5 million salary through 2031 could free up room for Tampa Bay to retain longtime captain and face of the team, Steven Stamkos, who is set to become a free agent. The Lightning also sent forward Tanner Jeannot to the Kings in a separate move, freeing up funds for defenseman Victor Hedman's contract extension and keeping him with the team for the time being.
In Arizona, the Coyotes were known for being in constant rebuilding mode, having made the playoffs just once in the past 12 years and moving from one arena to another before finally relocating to Salt Lake City in April.
It's a whole new world in Utah, where the so-called hockey club (this season) has already collected 30,000 prepayments for season tickets for the basketball-only facility, the Delta Center, which will have 16,200 seats for hockey, and not all of them directly facing the ice. The official name is expected to be announced by 2025-26, and there are six possible names: Utah HC, Blizzard, Mammoth, Outlaws, Venom and Yeti.
“We're the youngest state (demographically) and we're also the fastest growing state, so looking at both of those metrics, I think the NHL can say, 'Wow, it looks like we made the right decision,'” Smith said.
For Smith, it's a matter of balancing passion with perseverance.
“You're constantly juggling opposing emotions: I want to win now, but I also want to win in the long run, and I want to create this culture,” he said. “But we're still young and the future is really bright.”
It will get even brighter after this weekend.
AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this report.
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