Hot take: Utah powerplay might be one of the better ones this season

[Reijo]

They got Sergachev and Durzi options in the line. Guenther might score 35+ goals and is super talented, full season. Keller we all know, world elite talent. Schmalz doing big things, always consistant. The only question is does hayton play net front or is cooley going to play a diffrrent role there somewhere?

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[NVious]

This is finally the Yotes year (in Utah)

 

[BKarchitect]

Agreed it could be very good. They were 15th on the PP last year but a look at the %, you’ll see they were closer to 9th than 17th.

Adding Sergachyov to go along with Durzi (either together of separately), a full year of Guenther and more development from their young forwards and it could definitely be a top 10 unit.

I expect this to be a very good offensive team this year. The only sub 0.500 team that scored more than them last year were the Devils and we all know that record was likely a blip for them. They were a higher scoring team than the likes of the Sens and Sabres who get a lot of hype for their collection of scoring stars and Utah is just as young up front.

Ingram is for me possibly the best Canadian goalie going as well. The real question is kind the likes of Marino and Valimaki hold up enough defensively on that blueline - which is improved and good offensively but clearly still the weak point. Help is on the way with giants like Lamoureux and Simashev but until then, seems like it’s going to be the Achilles heel.

Should be a fun team to watch for the new fans in Utah, even if they aren’t quite there yet as a fully-formed complete team.

 

[Evergreen]

I think they need someone better than Hayton to be the net-front guy if they want the PP to improve. Maybe just stick Sergachev there instead.

 

[HockeyVirus]

Utah seems like a team that could do things. Not only is it a fresh start for everyone and a wakeup in that way, but it would also result in the maximum amount of pain for Coyotes fans which the universe seems intent on maintaining

 

[GeeoffBrown]

You have to wonder if the constant drama in Arizona was a distraction to the players too

 

[TheKrebsCycle]

You have to wonder if the constant drama in Arizona was a distraction to the players too

Yup was around a 500 team prior to all the moving / politics got involved . And look to have improved . Sergachev could be a big add , but I’m a bit dubious to the comment above . He’s not a net front guy on the pp , he has a laser , you want him throwing bombs from the point . Utah was / is my breakout team pick ( from prior threads ) . Accumulated a ton of talent now it’s time to roost .

 

[Z-Diddy]

You have to wonder if the constant drama in Arizona was a distraction to the players too

Durzi said it himself, when they went on the mid season 11 game slide, it was in the back of their minds, although not spoken out loud, can't blame em

 

[Indrid Cold]

I'm quietly rooting for the Utahotes this year.

 

[Frank the Tank]

Lots of potential in Utah, but most teams in the league can put 5 talented players on the ice for the PP. The PK units in the league are very good. Success comes down to execution, deception, and running the same play with multiple options to score. And that's with the puck, the elite PP units have effective zone entries, faceoff wins, and loose puck retrievals.

 

[Edgelord]

IMO Keller-Schmaltz-Crouse(net front)
then Serg-left point and Guenther on right point looks like a good PP1
for PP2
Maccelli-Hayton-Bjugstad(net front)
Cooley left point and Druzi on the right point

edited:Swapped Hayton in for Kerfoot on pp2

 

[HockeyScotty]

They got Sergachev and Durzi options in the line. Guenther might score 35+ goals and is super talented, full season. Keller we all know, world elite talent. Schmalz doing big things, always consistant. The only question is does hayton play net front or is cooley going to play a diffrrent role there somewhere?

I think they need someone better than Hayton to be the net-front guy if they want the PP to improve. Maybe just stick Sergachev there instead.

Yup was around a 500 team prior to all the moving / politics got involved . And look to have improved . Sergachev could be a big add , but I’m a bit dubious to the comment above . He’s not a net front guy on the pp , he has a laser , you want him throwing bombs from the point . Utah was / is my breakout team pick ( from prior threads ) . Accumulated a ton of talent now it’s time to roost .

There is Josh Doan, Lawson Crouse and Jack McBain also; but with Schmaltz-Guenther on the PP1 I think they will rotate in between those spots.

In a pinch even Carcone could fill that role; despite his size he has the skillset.

PP1: Schmaltz-Cooley-Guenther...........Sergachev-Keller
PP2: Crouse-Hayton(McBain)-Doan.....Durzi-Maccelli

Kerfoot will also rotate in PP2 there as he is the multi-tool guy also.

I think their biggest forward question mark is 2C: I think they'll give Hayton every chance, but Bear seems to love McBain a bunch and has a lot of time for him in a top 6 role also. But they have 10 quality guys for 9 spots so the musical chairs in camp is going to be interesting. That is assuming Carcon-Stenlund-Bjugstad is the 4th line which is a quality group as well; so their defensive contribution from their forwards can be better this year.

2nd pair defense on down is where this team could fall apart however, as was posted. Ian Cole is there as band-aid if Valimaki doesn't step up; and I like what Kesselring did last year so there is a decent hope for improvement but not the quality of their defense just isn't there to weather the storm of a full season. With Bortuzzo and Kolyachonok they have some decent depth as an 8 man unit.

Do you trust Valimaki/Cole - Marino going up against the best 2nd/3rd lines in the Central?

 

[Edgelord]

That is definitely true yeah. Utah was 15th last season so interesting to see if they pop that up even more


Hayton will play in one of these. That is a guarantee though. He will play on a powerplay unit.

swap him in for Kerfoot, or I will go edit my post cuz you're 100% right, I gapped him

 

[thebestnic]

West is wide open. I could see them making the playoffs as well

 

[Rebels57]

All depends on coaching, not the personnel. The Flyers have had enough firepower to have a decent powerplay the past few seasons and instead, it's historically bad because Torts hired a former goon with brain damage named Rocky Thompson to run it. Make it make sense.

 

[Figgy44]

I'm quietly rooting for the Utahotes this year.

CoyUtahs maybe?

 

[Yepthatsme]

I’ll follow this hot take with an even hotter and more unpopular take: Clayton Keller is the most over-rated player on HFboards. All world elite talent? He ranked 34th in points last season, and had 48 players in the NHL within 4 points or greater of his totals. He doesn’t even have the “team around him” argument anymore, Utah was a perfectly average offensive and powerplay team last year, and he was 61st in 5v5 offense across the league. HFBoards is brutal for over-rating guys with the flashy moves and skating, when it comes to actually producing offense, most NHL teams with few exceptions have a guy better at actually producing offense, a good amount have 2, and a select few have 3.

 

[BKarchitect]

I’ll follow this hot take with an even hotter and more unpopular take: Clayton Keller is the most over-rated player on HFboards. All world elite talent? He ranked 34th in points last season, and had 48 players in the NHL within 4 points or greater of his totals. He doesn’t even have the “team around him” argument anymore, Utah was a perfectly average offensive and powerplay team last year, and he was 61st in 5v5 offense across the league. HFBoards is brutal for over-rating guys with the flashy moves and skating, when it comes to actually producing offense, most NHL teams with few exceptions have a guy better at actually producing offense, a good amount have 2, and a select few have 3.

All-world is definitely hyperbole but this is a heavy handed critique that seemingly relies on your aversion to his “flash” and cherry-picked stats.

I mean, how about this:
- 23rd in the league in even strength goals the last two seasons
- 20th in the league in even strength points the last two seasons
- 21st in the league in points per game over the last three seasons

You make it sound like he’s a power play merchant and he’s definitely not. He’s been one of the most standout even strength producers for his team the past three years vis-a-vis comparison to his teammates around him and without anything close to resembling a #1 center on his line. The fact that the Yotes have been anything close to average offensively with the roster they have had since 21-22 is in large part due to Keller’s driving the offensive play.

He’s probably not a #1 option on a contending team but he’s certainly not paid like one either. He is one of the best offensive players in the league, even at even strength and considering he’s been a PPG player over three seasons on a rebuilding/dysfunctional franchise - I’d say he’s a guy would could definitely hit that 90-100 point territory as he enters his prime on an improving roster.

I’m not even sure that many folks know just how productive Keller has been stuck in Arizona so I find it really hard to believe he’s “the most overrated player” on HFB.

 

[DingerMcSlapshot]

Utah PP will be in the bottom 1/3.

 

[Chuck Testa]

I really liked the touch-pass play that they ran on their powerplay last year using the guy in the bumper spot and whoever was on the off wing (I think I remember seeing Schmaltz and Keller (maybe?) score some sick goals with it last season.

 

[wedge]

Go Coyetis. I'm rooting for them to make the playoffs.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Lots of potential in Utah, but most teams in the league can put 5 talented players on the ice for the PP. The PK units in the league are very good. Success comes down to execution, deception, and running the same play with multiple options to score. And that's with the puck, the elite PP units have effective zone entries, faceoff wins, and loose puck retrievals.

This is very true.

Also, to the point about every team in the league having 5 talented players, every team also has a few guys where you say “world class talent, this could be the year it comes together for him”. And it only actually happens for a small number — the ones who aren’t injured, don’t slump, find chemistry, hit a new gear, etc.

Looking at the players named in this thread, here is their career high to date in PP points:

Bjugstad - 15
Cooley - 13
Crouse - 10
Doan - 0
Guenther - 13
Hayton - 10
Keller - 30
Kerfoot - 17
Maccelli - 13
McBain - 0
Schmaltz - 21

Durzi - 16
Sergachev - 27

For context, league leaders in PP points last year:

Kucherov - 53
MacKinnon - 48
McDavid - 44
Panarin - 48
Kaprizov - 41
(Keller’s 30 points ranked him 29th, Durzi’s 16 tied him for 22nd)

Utah could very well become one of those “greater than the sum of their parts” stories, but this thread is putting an awfully high expectation on guys who have no track record of playing at the level we’re talking about here.

 

[tarheelhockey]

I’d say he’s a guy would could definitely hit that 90-100 point territory as he enters his prime on an improving roster

Enters his prime? He’s 26. As a forward there’s a decent chance we’ve already seen his offensive peak.

 

[BKarchitect]

Enters his prime? He’s 26. As a forward there’s a decent chance we’ve already seen his offensive peak.

Perhaps - but I'd suggest the environment around him will be pretty darn conducive to an increase in production. He's certainly not in heavy drop-off territory either and his center last year, Hayton, couldn't throw a beach ball into an ocean from a "capitalizing on chances" standpoint, and that's when he was healthy. When Hayton was out, he (and Schmaltz) played with Alex Kerfoot and Nick Bjugstad. It's pretty obvious why his stats tilted a bit more towards PP production last year.

The year previous with a healthy Hayton, he was the 12th highest even-strength producer in the entire league. But that year, the Coyotes PP was garbage and very few of his 86 points came with the man advantage.

If Utah has even a mid-PP next season and Hayton is healthy or the third wheel on UHC's top line is something better than Alex Kerfoot or Nick Bjugstad (which seems reasonable with an increasing level of talent making it's way onto the team and opposing teams now having to worry about Cooley/Guenther/Maccelli as they mature and give the franchise other lines that can create offensively instead of being a one-line team), I'd say a guy who averaged 35 goals and 81 points per 82 games through his age 23, 24 and 25 seasons could absolutely and reasonable be even better the next few years.

 

[Rafafouille]

Sergachev and Durzi are 40 points D's
Schmaltz is an elite second liner or meh average first liner


Even if Guenther goes point per game, him and Keller would be the only elite pieces on the PP.