The past few years for Arizona in the NHL have been marked by struggles: poor performance, unsuccessful drafts, a lack of a home arena, and dwindling interest in the franchise. However, with the team’s move to Salt Lake City, they’ve seemingly found a new lease on life, showing promising hockey at the start of the NHL season with essentially the same roster. Let’s delve into how serious this shift is and whether Utah can make the playoffs in its inaugural season. So, why has Utah suddenly started performing, while Arizona couldn’t?

Emotional Boost
While not the most critical factor, fan support can provide an emotional lift and boost motivation. Salt Lake City has a strong association with winter sports, and having an NHL team is the pinnacle of that connection. Fans are energized, the team has a proper arena, and they’re receiving the love and support of their community. Naturally, after all the uncertainties and minimal backing in the past, players feel far more motivated in their current situation. They’re riding a positive wave. Moreover, the move presents a fantastic opportunity to start fresh, leaving past problems behind.

Youth Progress
Now, let’s focus on the on-ice reasons for the improved results—namely, the progress of the younger players. Arizona often drafted very high, and this is finally starting to pay off. The move coincided with significant advancements from the key talents who gained experience in Arizona and are now delivering results for Utah. Dylan Guenther has been particularly impressive. The Canadian is currently the team’s leading scorer with 5 goals in 6 games, along with an assist. The new management made what could be a smart decision last summer by extending his contract for 8 years at $7.14 million per season. It was a risky move, but so far, it seems justified. Given his current performance, it could have been much more expensive by the summer of 2025.

Natural growth is also evident in the main prospect of the system, Logan Cooley. The American spent his first season adapting, and now he’s one of Utah’s key playmakers with 0 goals and 6 assists in 6 games. The 20-year-old forward is also making contributions defensively, with 5 blocks and 4 hits. Over time, Cooley is only going to get stronger in all areas of the ice thanks to his experience and growing physicality.

The defensemen are also showing progress. Michael Kesselring is undergoing a remarkable transformation at 25. The Canadian has already put up 4 points (2 goals and 2 assists) and boasts a +7 plus/minus rating, making him the best-performing defenseman on the team statistically. Additionally, Belarusian Vladislav Kolyachonok has surprised many by earning a spot in the NHL lineup. While there are still questions about his reliability, particularly defensively, he has already made his mark by scoring against Boston and helping the team secure a win in overtime.

Emergence from Oblivion
Barrett Hayton is also back to playing solid hockey. At just 24 years old, his success could be chalked up to “youth progress,” but he’s previously had good seasons. Last year, he unexpectedly “disappeared,” recording just 3 goals and 7 assists in 33 games with a -13 rating. Now, he’s looking much better with 4 goals and 2 assists, along with a +1 rating in 6 games. Hayton is once again centering the first line and contributing with excellent faceoff efficiency at 60%. In past years, the best he managed was just over 51%. If Hayton can consistently deliver this level of play, Utah won’t need to search for centers on the market. The progress of Cooley and Hayton’s resurgence should be sufficient for the team’s future.

Market Activity
Utah hasn’t made a splash in the market but has made some targeted acquisitions that are already paying off in terms of reliability. Once John Marino recovers from his injury, things could improve even further.

The standout addition is Mikhail Sergachev. It appears that the trade hasn’t negatively affected him, even though he was clearly not thrilled about moving from Tampa Bay to a franchise that has been a perennial underperformer. Currently, Sergachev is playing solidly and can undoubtedly be considered a leading defenseman. He’s also contributing offensively (0 goals and 4 assists in 6 games) while performing well defensively with 13 blocks. His ice time has skyrocketed, averaging 27 minutes per game. In Tampa, he averaged just over 23:49. This means he’s been given an extra 3 minutes on the ice. The only downside is his turnover rate; Sergachev has already committed 12 turnovers. However, this is a common issue for all Utah defensemen right now, possibly due to the playing system and the expectations placed on them.

Ian Cole adds another layer of reliability. While he may not keep up with the younger players offensively (and hasn’t been particularly adept in that area), he remains solid defensively and in neutralizing opponents’ power plays due to his positioning and game-reading skills. Cole leads the team with 19 blocks in 6 games. Forward Kevin Stenlund provides energy to the lower lines, specializing in defensive play: pressuring opponents, killing penalties, and winning faceoffs. So far, the former Florida player has excelled in this aspect (60.7% on faceoffs, 6 blocks, and 7 hits).

Can the Club Compete for the Playoffs?
At this point, Utah has only one loss in regulation and 4 wins, having beaten strong opponents like Boston, the Rangers, and the Islanders. But can this new franchise contend for a playoff spot in its first season?

Maintaining this level of play over the long haul will be challenging. First, the initial emotional boost from the move will eventually fade. Second, teams will start taking Utah and its young stars more seriously. Both of these factors are likely to reduce performance—both individual and collective. Third, despite the youth’s progress and roster adjustments, Utah lacks depth in quality. Any injury or slump could severely undermine the team’s potential. Additionally, the goaltending duo is not the most reliable, which doesn’t bode well for sustaining a consistent pace throughout the regular season.

Another issue for Utah is that they play in a very strong division. Dallas has virtually no weak spots. The team is performing at least as well as last year, if not better. Winnipeg, despite its playoff shortcomings, consistently maintains a high level during the regular season and is currently the only team in the league without a loss. Then there’s Colorado, which had a rough start but boasts an exceptional roster. In a couple of weeks, key players like Lehkonen, Nichushkin, and Drouin are expected to return. Perhaps Landeskog will return later as well. Over the course of 82 games, the Avalanche will likely collect enough points to reach the playoffs. There’s even Nashville, which has acquired several big-name players. Although they lost all 5 of their games at the start, they have the potential to bounce back at any moment. Theoretically, Minnesota could also make a push, but it will be tougher for them than for the others.

So, while Utah may fare better in terms of points compared to Arizona, the competition in their division makes it difficult to overcome teams solely based on the emotional boost from the move and the progress of their young players. The best-case scenario for Utah seems to be snagging a wildcard spot; anything beyond that would be nothing short of miraculous.