Official 2024-25 Utah HC Season Discussion.

[Mangosteen]

Ba said draft AND trades. I never heard once that Smith said we are out of the rebuild, in fact I heard the other Armstrong said the team is about 50% done, and I think Smith said the same, or something like that. Also BA has said several time after the trade he is staying the course with the rebuild.

This was just ESPN but I will find the Smith quotes later tonight. They wanted to send a message that their rebuild was done. They sent that message by pulling off a trade to get top-pairing defenseman Mikhail Sergachev.

 

[Vinny Boombatz]

Maata is a UFA. You are missing Valimaki and Koly. MavLam I think will be in top six, and also there could be a trade as well.

I don't like Valimaki, I like the way Koly skates, but his head doesn't work well enough to make him NHL worthy either.

I'd sign Maatta to a cheap contract and let him be the LHD on 3rd pair with Kesselring or MavLam, whichever takes that position.

Unless they think that Szuber or one of the other guys will be ready, but I'd prefer more 'experience' in Maatta rather than put another 'rookie' Szuber on the left side along with Simashev.

 

[Arizonatah Coyetis]

This was just ESPN but I will find the Smith quotes later tonight. They wanted to send a message that their rebuild was done. They sent that message by pulling off a trade to get top-pairing defenseman Mikhail Sergachev.

He's said it. But take a look around. Does what he said really align with what you see with your own eyes?

He either misspoke or told people what they want to hear. It certainly isn't reality. If he said that the "tank" was over then that would pass the eye test and actually make sense.

 

[rt]

 

[Mangosteen]

4-6 the last 10 games worried its going to be 2-8. Tough hole to dig out of. Call the Blue Jackets and let’s make a trade!

 

[Canis Latrans]

This was just ESPN but I will find the Smith quotes later tonight. They wanted to send a message that their rebuild was done. They sent that message by pulling off a trade to get top-pairing defenseman Mikhail Sergachev.

Almost immediately after the inference that the rebuild is over the article states this: Smith said. "But you also don't want to be dumb. You don't want to come in right at the beginning and throw and push above where we are as a team."

He's tempered on this and not expecting the same trajectory you are. I think he's aware it's a slow process and you can't pull out of a rebuild too early or you run out of ammunition when you get to the real battle.

Also, look at this from Smith's perspective; he just got the team. He doesn't have a history of watching losing seasons. The market is new to the NHL and are just happy to have a team. They don't need faux impatience here and can let it cook a little longer.

He's also got a Jazz team that is bottom of the standings and trying to do a rebuild, so I have to think he has some experience and knowledge with what is necessary to do a rebuild.

Lastly, I think some aren't on the same page as to what the goal of this rebuild is: it's not to hit some point threshold in the standings, it's not to make a big jump up in the standings, it's not to just make the playoffs by x number of seasons. It's to get to the point where the team is a legitimate Stanley Cup contender for several seasons in a row and maintain that status for as long as possible. You don't need to spend assets to make the playoffs this season when you could use that to shore up a Cup run some years down the line.

 

[TheLegend]

What does leadership look like in the Utah Hockey Club locker room?​

Utah HC leaders speak on leadership

The leaders of the Utah Hockey Club gave their opinions on how their peers have helped lead the team.

www.deseret.com

 

[Heldig]

Watching the World Juniors - dang I wish Russia could be there. Need to see Simashev play 'cause Leonard is the best player in the tournament.

 

[Arizonatah Coyetis]

Dakota Mermis waived again.

 

[lanky]

Watching the World Juniors - dang I wish Russia could be there. Need to see Simashev play 'cause Leonard is the best player in the tournament.

I wanted Dvorsky and I'd still take him over Leonard. I like But better than both.
I'm not sure if I like Simashev as much as that group but his potential is tantalizing (and his floor is pretty darn good too).

 

[TheLegend]

Dakota Mermis waived again.

Had to be with Bortuzzo back.

Goes to Tucson if not claimed.

 

[Jakey53]

I wanted Dvorsky and I'd still take him over Leonard. I like But better than both.
I'm not sure if I like Simashev as much as that group but his potential is tantalizing (and his floor is pretty darn good too).

Why would you take But over Dvorsky or Leonard? I liked Dvorsky as well.

 

[TheLegend]

 

[TheLegend]

Had to be with Bortuzzo back.

Goes to Tucson if not claimed.

Leafs reclaimed Mermis

 

[Dempsey]

I hope we see Szuber recalled at some point.

 

[Arizonatah Coyetis]

Seems like it was expected that Toronto would reclaim Mermis. Makes me wonder if it was planned this way from the beginning between the two teams.

 

[cobra427]

I know you know that Sergachev is 10x the defender Ghost is. Sergachev is a true #1D, much like OEL in his hey day. Ghost is a liability 5on5...but I liked Ghost and would welcome him back if we wanted to get him back.

But once Durzi returns he's basically a younger Ghost, our D core just has to get healthy. I'm really looking forward to next year when it should be really good

Sergachev/Marino
Simashev/Durzi
Maatta/Kesselring
MavLam

Serg isn't a 1d because he is not a great defender, he isn't close to 1D OEL, he's closer to Yandle as a player, but he is all we have for now. The third for Ghost was a bad trade by BA, I'll agree he stole him to get him, but lost big on the way out.

 

[cobra427]

Chris Armstrong just did a pre-game interview. Still sounds like him and Smith are satisfied with the job BA and AT are doing this season and that he believes the rebuild is about 50% of the way to where they want to get. Not once have I gotten the sense that BA or AT's job is in danger in any interveiw. Never any disappointment shown. Comments made about BA or AT are typically complimentary and were again tonight.

We'll see.

What else is he going to say other then a vote of confidence? He's not going to say, hey we are evaluating the team over the first year. If the team is at 80 points, BA and Bear might get fired, if they are low 90s and close to the playoffs, they keep them both.

 

[Canis Latrans]

Serg isn't a 1d because he is not a great defender, he isn't close to 1D OEL, he's closer to Yandle as a player, but he is all we have for now. The third for Ghost was a bad trade by BA, I'll agree he stole him to get him, but lost big on the way out.

He's not a great defender, he's an amazing defender. Not sure how you can even consider this. He plays the most minutes and the hard situations for a reason.

What else is he going to say other then a vote of confidence? He's not going to say, hey we are evaluating the team over the first year. If the team is at 80 points, BA and Bear might get fired, if they are low 90s and close to the playoffs, they keep them both.

It's not about points.

 

[Arizonatah Coyetis]

Serg isn't a 1d because he is not a great defender, he isn't close to 1D OEL, he's closer to Yandle as a player, but he is all we have for now.

IMO, Sergachev is more comparable to OEL than he is to Yandle

and

Gostisbehere is more comparable to Yandle than he is OEL.

Curious what others think...

 

[Mangosteen]

Serg reminds me of Repo and Housley. He will be an incredible part of our core.

 

[cobra427]

He's not a great defender, he's an amazing defender. Not sure how you can even consider this. He plays the most minutes and the hard situations for a reason.

It's not about points.

He plays the excessive amount of minutes because Marino/Durzi are out, that doesn't mean he is great, we don't have anyone behind him. Sergi isn't a great defender, he is average at best, closer to Chych/Yandle on D, not anywhere close to prime OEL. He is an offensive D man, might get 50-60 points this year which is great. He isn't a true #1D because of his defense, Moser is better defensively.

I know everyone here thinks BA is the best GM ever, I don't. He gave up Geekie and Moser, that is a lot. Geekie could be very good in a few years. I would have rather kept Moser/Geekie, and not traded Ghost for a third round pick. We would have the solid D in Moser, scoring of Ghost and upside of Geekie. BAs trades are not all one sided and magical.

 

[Vinny Boombatz]

I take Sergachev for Moser/Geekie all day long.

 

[TheLegend]

He plays the excessive amount of minutes because Marino/Durzi are out, that doesn't mean he is great, we don't have anyone behind him. Sergi isn't a great defender, he is average at best, closer to Chych/Yandle on D, not anywhere close to prime OEL. He is an offensive D man, might get 50-60 points this year which is great. He isn't a true #1D because of his defense, Moser is better defensively.

I know everyone here thinks BA is the best GM ever, I don't. He gave up Geekie and Moser, that is a lot. Geekie could be very good in a few years. I would have rather kept Moser/Geekie, and not traded Ghost for a third round pick. We would have the solid D in Moser, scoring of Ghost and upside of Geekie. BAs trades are not all one sided and magical.

1) Not everyone here thinks BA is the “best ever”. They just don’t think he’s bad like you claim he is.

2) Nobody has ever said giving up Geekie or Moser was good either. But even you are hedging your take with saying Geekie “could be” good later on.

There’s always a risk with these trades. So far BA has held his own with them.

 

[Arizonatah Coyetis]

Ghost has as many points as Sergi this year, and he is as good or better on D.

So I came across this: Analyzing Shayne Gostisbehere’s 2024 contract

"While Gostisbehere is coming off a great year in Detroit, he was also extremely sheltered at 5-on-5, being used in a more offensive role than any other defender on the team, while also facing the lowest quality of competition (according to Dobber’s player usage chart). So it would be up to Gostisbehere to show he can handle a tougher role with the Hurricanes."

The Player Usage Chart also shows that Ghost is being sheltered heavily again this season in CAR. For their entire careers Sergachev has been put up against much higher quality of competition. By a pretty big margin too according to the statistics - Sergachev is mostly facing the highest quality of competition and Ghost is facing the lowest.

Don't get me wrong, I love Ghost Bear, but he's nowhere close to as well rounded as Sergachev is and the statistics prove it. There's a reason one of them makes an average salary of $3.2M and the other makes $8.5M.

Edit:

Players that are good on defense play on the PK. Ghost's PK minutes are all but non-existent. (AZ was the only team that gave him good minutes on the PK.) This season he has a whopping 4.06 minutes of SH TOI which is the least of every CAR d-man that has played more than 5 games.

Literally everything points to Ghost being below average in his own end and very one dimensional.