Prospect System Ranking – 7th (Previous Rank - 3rd)
GM: Bill Armstrong Hired: September 2020
COACH: André Tourigny Hired: July 2021
The Arizona Coyotes have officially relocated and rebranded as the Utah Hockey Club, and new owner Ryan Smith is eager and ready to bring fresh energy and direction to an otherwise disgruntled organization. The team wasted no time in bolstering its roster, both for the present and its future. In a draft podium blockbuster, Utah sent one of their top prospects (Conor Geekie) to Tampa Bay in exchange for Mikhail Sergachev. From there, they went on to inject a total of 11 new prospects into the pipeline.
Headlining that draft list is Tij Iginla, who instantly becomes the club’s top prospect, ranking 15th overall in McKeen’s rankings. Iginla, the son of Hockey Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla, will not factor into the club’s immediate plans, but his potential as a future top six fixture in Utah is undeniable. Joining Iginla is Cole Beaudoin (156th), the team’s second first-rounder from 2024, who will return to the Barrie Colts to develop among the Junior system.
Ready to make an impact with the big club, however, is Josh Doan (67th), who already split his 2023-24 campaign between the Arizona Coyotes and the Tucson Roadrunners. After proving his ability at both levels, Doan is poised to take on a larger role. Meanwhile, towering defenceman Maveric Lamoureux (117th) will turn pro to kickstart his career in the AHL, though his size and right-handed shot could fast-track him to NHL games sooner rather than later.
In the pipeline, Russian prospects Dmitri Simashev (23rd) and Daniil But (31st) continue to develop as teammates with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in the KHL. Fellow Russian Artyom Duda, who spent his 2023-24 among the USport circuit, is expected to transition to the professional ranks with Tucson. In net, Michael Hrabal (129th) continues to showcase a solid ceiling as a University of Massachusetts standout.
The hope is that a fresh rebrand and a revitalized fanbase in Salt Lake City will jumpstart the franchise, which has seen just one playoff appearance in the last 12 years. With a young core featuring Clayton Keller (26), Barrett Hayton (24), Matias Maccelli (23), Mikhail Sergachev (26), Sean Durzi (25), and recent graduates Logan Cooley (20) and Dylan Guenther (21), the organization is eager to seek success to showcase their brand to the people of Salt Lake.
Utah Hockey Club Top-15 Prospects
1. Tij Iginla
The son of NHL Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla, Tij surged up draft boards all throughout the 2023-24 season before finally, and deservedly, ending up as the 6th overall selection. Much like his dad, he is confident and determined, has an incredible knack for putting the puck in the net, and oozes leadership traits. He's played mostly on the wing so far in his WHL tenure, but he'll start getting more looks at center this season, and there's a chance that his NHL future could be at that position because he’s so responsible, smart, well-balanced, hard-working, and can make his linemates better. Iginla is a big-game performer who has already become a huge fan favourite in Kelowna after just one season there, so the NHL's newest organization is surely thrilled to have a player like that as one of their first faces of the franchise.
2. Dmitri Simashev
Some Coyotes fans were surprised when their team picked Simashev with the 6th overall pick in 2023, but his play this season as a full-time defenceman in the KHL helped showcase precisely why the organization is so excited about him. With his size and exceptional skating ability he is already able to comfortably defend at a professional level, and if everything goes right in his development, he could become one of the best shutdown blueliners in the entire NHL, someone who is able to stick like glue to speedy superstars like Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon. That’s significantly more important in defending these days than pure brawn. And while his offensive tools were only noticeable last year when you watched him closely enough and saw the right games, he's also made important progress at actually converting them to points for his stat line.
3. Daniil But
Like his Yaroslavl Lokomotiv teammate Simashev, But became a KHL regular this season and didn't look out of place at all against that level of competition. He's a very tantalizing prospect because of his overflowing toolbox, which includes the size, reach and puck control to maintain possession in the cycle, the speed and explosiveness to open up space on the rush, and the scoring and playmaking ability to generate goals in either style. While his point totals aren't eye-popping yet, the KHL is the best league in the world outside of the NHL, and huge and lanky guys like him usually need extra time to grow into their bodies. What’s most important to remember with But is that the foundation is in place to eventually build up to a uniquely high ceiling. It’s just going to be a little while before anyone gets to see the finished product.
4. Josh Doan
There weren’t a lot of feel-good stories coming out of the desert, even before news of the team’s move to Utah was confirmed, but Doan’s rapid development and immediate impact upon being called up to the NHL certainly count as one. Shane Doan was the face of that franchise for a long time, and despite some lofty expectations, his son has turned out to be the prince who was promised. It’s obvious, and quite impressive, how much he embraced the situation he was in. His game presents a three-zone blend of skill, grit and leadership, and there is little question where he gets those attributes from. Regardless of his team’s new home, he’ll be a huge part of the organization for years to come, both as someone who can log a lot of ice time in all situations as a core roster player, and also as someone who can help instill a culture and identity.
5. Maveric Lamoureux
Injuries have robbed Lamoureux of a lot of games played over the past two seasons, so there’s something to be said about just how good he’s looked when he’s actually been in the lineup. It’s so rare to find a prospect of this size who has this much raw skating ability, and he can easily gobble up mountains of minutes without having to expend as much energy as other defenders do when moving around the ice. This style of player usually takes a long time to grow into his body and figure out the necessary small-area skill, and luckily for Utah, Lamoureux has already made a lot of progress in this regard. His upside is a little murky to project right now, especially if the injury issues stick around, but the organization will happily be patient with him for as long as they can just to see what the final product looks like.
6. Michael Hrabal
The gargantuan Hrabal continues to trend in the right direction, albeit with some fits and spurts along the way. He won the starting job with UMass-Amherst this past season over another drafted goalie who was four years his senior, and put forth some stellar individual performances throughout the year. However, he struggled and faltered at bad times for Czechia at the World Juniors, letting in too many weak goals. He covers so much net naturally and without effort, but on the downside, and much like others just like him, still has issues at this age with pucks squeaking through under his arms and between his legs. Goalies his size usually need extra time to build enough strength to keep moving so much mass around their crease and to get everything about their play fine-tuned, and Hrabal is still on course to get there eventually.
7. Cole Beaudoin
Despite being 17 years old for almost all of his draft-eligible season, Beaudoin often looked like a man among boys when he stepped on the ice. Not only does he have a large and stocky frame to work with, he's a gym rat who is exceptionally strong and fit. He's a workhorse who possesses the ability to bully his way around the puck, along with the resilience to do so shift over shift. He turned a lot of heads at the IIHF U18s in the spring, steadily forcing his way up Canada's lineup and playing a leading role in their tournament-winning outcome, including playing a ton of minutes in the championship game. His NHL ceiling might be limited to more of a defensive role due to average levels of natural skill, but he has the potential to become one of the very best shutdown and matchup centers in the sport.
8. Aku Raty
Raty continues to make steady, upwards progress in his development. His stats in the 2023-24 regular season were almost identical to what they were last year, but they are more impressive when you remember that producing points in the AHL is more difficult than doing it in the Liiga or most other European leagues. His success wasn’t quite enough to say that he is clearly ready for permanent NHL duty, but at the rate he keeps getting better and better, that seems like it’s not far out. He’s a well-rounded winger who is impressively smooth, both in the way he moves and the way he moves the puck, and he doesn’t sacrifice his defensive responsibilities to make magic happen offensively. He projects more as a complementary player than the primary driver of a line, but there is value in the NHL for forwards who know how to thrive in that kind of role.
9. Will Skahan
Skahan's game will never be about generating offense or producing points, but that's OK, because he excels instead as an off-puck defender. He has the necessary tools and temperament to go toe-to-toe with the best forwards on opposing teams, and that's not an easy job to do or one that all blueliners are capable of handling. His dad was the strength and conditioning coach for Anaheim for 13 years, which surely provided him with some advantageous experiences and resources not available to other young players. There's really only one development path worth pursuing for Skahan, which is as a stay-at-home defender and penalty killer, but that role will always have a place in the NHL. He's incredibly effective in the way that he plays and he should be able to maintain his success as he continues to move up levels.
10. Julian Lutz
A major change of scenery, going from the top German pro league to Green Bay in the USHL, has turned out to be exactly what Lutz needed after a couple of seasons that were significantly hampered by injuries and limited ice time. He scored a hat trick in just his third game in his new environment and then he never looked back from there, quickly establishing himself as one of the most singularly dangerous players in the entire league. He’s embracing an identity as a power forward, relying on his big shot and soft hands around the net to rack up points, while also using his size and strength to bring a physical presence. He’s turning pro and will be heading to the AHL next season, but both he and his club will need to tread carefully about that, after all the missed games and moving around. He needs stability and consistency.
11. Justin Kipkie
The Victoria Royals took a step forward this season, and Kipkie has been a key part of their ongoing turnaround. He plays a lot of minutes right now, and they're not easy minutes, either. He leaves an outsized impact offensively and defensively, and few defenders his age have as hard of a shot as he does. There is a tactful maturity to how he uses his size and strength, though he'll inflict punishment, too, if challenged.
12. Sam Lipkin
Speaking bluntly, Lipkin didn't look particularly noticeable in his draft year. He was, however, playing for the Chicago Steel, which is one of the best organizations in the world at nurturing young hockey talent. Unsurprisingly, his performance immediately began to skyrocket the next season, which he then carried over into two more great campaigns with Quinnipiac, including an NCAA title in 2023. He is an impressive athlete who continues to find new ways to round out his game.
13. Artem Duda
Duda's development took an unusual turn last year, when his NCAA eligibility was denied due to prior games played in the KHL, and he opted instead to play at the U Sports level, which is unheard of for a high draft pick his age. Once a well-regarded two-way defender, it will be interesting to see if his development is still on the same pace after a handful of games against relatively weaker competition.
14. Miko Matikka
While Matikka has always been a prospect with intriguing tools, his application of them has been inconsistent. But a 20-goal season in the NCAA last year is no small feat, so the hope is that a new page has been turned. He's a lanky, loose winger who can do damage around the net with both his strength and feel for the puck, and he could become a forceful player if his development breaks just right.
15. Maks Szuber
Hockey in Germany is growing nicely, and Szuber is shaping up to be another example of how well the nation can produce hockey players. His transition to North America this season was so smooth, thanks to all the pro hockey that he played back home, that he earned a callup for his NHL debut. Once seen as a limited defensive defenseman at best, his offensive contributions are improving as he continues to gain experience and confidence.