The Utah Hockey Club has experienced significant transactions early in their existence even though they haven't played a formal NHL game yet. In their first off-season, they added Sean Durzi, John Marino, and Mikhail Sergachev in addition to selecting Tij Iginla in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft.
The team has now made a surprising move, approaching an eight-year extension for rising star Dylan Guenther.
Top NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman reports that, despite the 21-year-old Edmonton native's lack of NHL experience, the deal would pay him slightly over $7 million per season.
Entering his third season in the National Hockey League, Guenther made his debut in the 2022-2023 season, playing in 33 games and scoring 15 points (six goals and nine assists). In 78 games over his two seasons, he has scored 50 points.
Guenther also played for Canada in the May 2024 men's world hockey tournament, recording one goal and three assists in nine contests.
With players like Clayton Keller, Logan Cooley, and Josh Doan in the forward lineup, the Utah Hockey Club is easily one of the teams with the brightest futures in the Western Conference. Now, it's up to Guenther to convert this potential into NHL success, which could position them as Wild Card contenders in the 2024/25 season.
POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 20 | 68 ANSWERS Utah Hockey Club stuns by signing a young player to massive $58 million contract Is Dylan Guenther deserving of such a high salary in the NHL? | ||
Yes | 6 | 8.8 % |
No | 62 | 91.2 % |
List of polls |