I'm getting in on the ground floor: Utah HC are really good and will make playoffs this season.

[HFpapi]

I would assume the prevailing wisdom right now is that this is a (very early) hot start for a young and up-and-coming team but that they will fall back to earth as the season unfolds.

Not me. This isn't an overreaction to a 3-0 start, I thought coming into this season this team had potential to surprise people. I can't take credit for that claim if they do indeed make playoffs because it's not on record anywhere.

Where I am on record however, is the Dylan Guenther extension thread. I said people questioning the deal or even saying "who is this guy?" were going to look silly real soon. Couldn't imagine how soon. He's scored at an elite pace at every single level of hockey he's ever played including the NHL (18 goals in 45 games as a 20 year old) and now this season looks primed to to become a star. 5 goals in the first 3 games leads the league. Has 40 goal potential.

Logan Cooley has superstar written all over him. Fantastic rookie season, he passes the eye test and is also off to a great start. With 5 assists through 3 games, he might be one of the leagues premier set-up men already. 75+ point break-out incoming.

Clayton Keller holds the all-time Utarizona Coyotes Club franchise record for points in a season and with 6 points through 3 games, he might break his own record this season. A legit star.

Beyond that, Barrett Hayton has slowly but surely been living up to his draft status and is off to a great start. Guys like Maccelli, Schmaltz, Crouse, Doan, and Carcone, round out a very talented, very deep forward group.

The D leaves a bit to be desired and will be their downfall if I'm wrong but Sergachev was a great addition if he can stay heatlhy.

I actually think Utah are legit and not a "team of the future." I think they are competitive right now and WILL make the playoffs this season.

Anyone with me?

Click to read more...

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Plan the parade!!


Am I doing this right??

 

[HFpapi]

Plan the parade!!


Am I doing this right??

I'm a Leafs fan, the parade is already planned down Bay Street the same way it is every October.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

I'm a Leafs fan, the parade is already planned down Bay Street the same way it is every October.

They have golf courses on Bay Street now?

 

[waitin425]

Utah is stacked for sure. Add Iggy when he arrives and if they can get But and/or Simashev to hit they will be a perrenial playoff team in the west. Years of suckery have finally ended.

I'm with you. why not.

 

[All Mod Cons]

They have golf courses on Bay Street now?

And we wonder why every thread is about the Leafs.

 

[HFpapi]

They have golf courses on Bay Street now?

This year will be different, you'll see. Mitch Marner will show up this time, I swear!!



But let's not turn this into a "Leafs are playoff failures" thread 4 posts into it.

Giving Utah their shine, genuinely very talented team with loads of players poised for break-outs this year.

 

[Coffees]

Too inexperienced and back end simply does not have the horses to make it through a 82 game season with success.

good growth year, but let’s see how they handle some adversity

 

[hangman005]

Too inexperienced and back end simply does not have the horses to make it through a 82 game season with success.

good growth year, but let’s see how they handle some adversity

turns out terrible... but with the off ice distractions removed it'll be interesting if the adversity is just limited to the ice. I think they'll be one cusp at least,

 

[Rabid Ranger]

......and yet i they don't have a legitimate team name yet. Bush league.

 

[bigdog16]

They really surprised me last night. Keller Cooley Guenther will be an absolute problem in the western conference over the next 4-5 years.

Could be the adrenaline with beginning of season and a young team but man did they have some jump

 

[Plgilbert89]

......and yet i they don't have a legitimate team name yet. Bush league.

Salty much my friend ? This was the first thing they said when they acquired team that they would take a whole year to decide what will be their name and the logo cause it takes time for the branding and getting the rights and stuff.

Now, about the team, I knew we would be good offensively cause I was indeed a Coyotes fan but I didnt expect everyone to score as plebty of goals that early. That being said, defense was always going to be our weak point this season and it is showing so far. We'll see how it goes as the seasons goes along but I think we'll be in the mix for playoffs.

 

[OysterForever]

They have excellent depth in their roster. Maccelli might be the highest IQ 3rd/4th liner of the whole league. Enjoy watching them a lot.

 

[Chips]

I don’t know if this start will last, but I’m excited for one particular team instead of being a neutral fan, for the first time in years. I miss this feeling when watching regular season games, I don’t necessarily care if they miss the playoffs again as long as they compete and are fun to watch while demonstrating improvement.

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

If they win the Cup this season, do they stay as a nameless team forever??!

 

[Drumman44]

If they win the Cup this season, do they stay as a nameless team forever??!

The Nameless Kings

 

[Drake1588]

They're enormously fun to watch, but I don't think this is an especially hot take or bold. They've been steadily trending towards turning that corner, drafting very well and patiently developing. At the pro level, they seemed only to be waiting for that off-ice stability that they now have in spades in SLC. I'm going to be watching a lot of their games this year.

 

[Team_Spirit]

Even if they weren’t good moving there will give them a boost.

Go Utah

https://x.com/i/web/status/1843835263967236130

 

[HFpapi]

They have excellent depth in their roster. Maccelli might be the highest IQ 3rd/4th liner of the whole league. Enjoy watching them a lot.

I don't think it can be overstated how good their forward group is.

If you remove every teams 3 best forwards and look at only what is left, purely off the top of my head without digging too deeply into it, I think UHC is right there in the discussion for best group.

Once you remove the "big 3" of Keller/Cooley/Guenther, you're left with:

Schmaltz: top line talent who had 61 points last season.
Maccelli: maybe truly the most underrated player in the league. 40 assists last season without top line minutes and, as you said, super high IQ player.
Crouse: 23 goals last season.
Marcone: A player many probably have never even heard of, 21 goals last season, classic late-career breakout type.
Hayton: High draft pedigree and potential. Looked like he was putting it all together mid-season two years ago. Has top line potential.
Doan: 9 points in 11 games last season, developing into a stud. Can become a high end 3rd liner with 20 goal potential.

Again, only off the top of my head, but I think you'd be hard pressed to find more than a couple of teams with a better group of forwards beyond their 3 best.

 

[HFpapi]

They're enormously fun to watch, but I don't think this is an especially hot take or bold.

It's definitely not a steaming, hot-off-the-stove take but I don't think you'll find many (if any) hockey writers, publications, or general fans who had Utah as a playoff team going into this season.

Obviously the 3-0 start also makes this less spicy but I still think I'm in the vast minority in terms of believing this team is already as of today a playoff team and not just a team of the future like Montreal, Anaheim etc.

 

[Stealth JD]

Shades of Quebec after moving to Colorado.

 

[HFpapi]

Shades of Quebec after moving to Colorado.

In before Shesterkin gets left out to dry for 8 goals and screams at James Dolan to trade him mid-game. Goes to UHC and the rest will be history.

 

[Drake1588]

It's definitely not a steaming, hot-off-the-stove take but I don't think you'll find many (if any) hockey writers, publications, or general fans who had Utah as a playoff team going into this season.

Obviously the 3-0 start also makes this less spicy but I still think I'm in the vast minority in terms of believing this team is already as of today a playoff team and not just a team of the future like Montreal, Anaheim etc.

Maybe so. Guys like Cooley (20), Guenther (21), Doan (22) are still young, but a lot of the core of that team is more mature than people realize and has been percolating for a while. Keller is 26, Crouse is 27, Schmaltz is 28. Their defense is in its late 20s prime, their goalies 27 and 28 as well. Young still, sure, but they have already accumulated valuable years of experience. The makeup of that team today is that of a team closer to the crest than the trough of its contention curve. It's just run on a very lean payroll.