I think he stays in Utah. Loses waiver-exempt status this season, but is looking like an every day 3rd pairer. Unfortunately for him, Utah is looking to solidify their defense.
Definitely in a bit of a unwieldy situation. Assuming this is a cheap deal, he's young and good enough for a team penny-pinching to take a look at him as a bottom-pairing or spare D if he hits waivers.
Which would be fine normally, if Utah were just looking to run "status quo" with their blueline next year. He could just continue on with that role there. But since they're expected to be more active spenders and "buyers" with an emphasis on upgrading the defence corps...you have to imagine that some other guys in that mix are likely going to end up pushed down the depth chart to those #5/6/7 roles from Top-4ish roles. Which probably pushes a guy like Kolyachonok right off the edge of the rosters onto waivers.
Kind of makes me curious about the details on this. Wonder if they'll structure it a bit like the Senators did to slip Bernard-Docker through waivers last year? Make it two years, one-way deal with enough money and cap hit to make it less attractive to other teams as a minimum wage roster filler? Seems like Kolyachonok is a somewhat similar player, in a fairly similar situation.