Utah Hockey Club are securing an important piece to their team ahead of their inaugural season. It’s been reported that they’re re-signing Dylan Guenther to a new contract. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Utah and Guenther are closing in on a long-term contract. Specifically, the contract is set to be an eight-year deal, with the AAV being $7.142 million per year.
Hearing Dylan Guenther and Utah closing in on an eight-year extension at slightly above $7M per.
The Utahns lock up a key piece.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) September 20, 2024
Guenther Getting New Contract
Guenther is an up-and-coming star and will be a great player for Utah for years to come. And it seems that general manager Bill Armstrong agrees. The 21-year-old still has one year remaining on his entry-level contract. This means that whenever this deal becomes official, that new contract will kick in the season after the next. While Guenther hasn’t played many games in the NHL, his production is still very impressive. With all things to be considered, such as his age and that before relocating to Utah, the Arizona Coyotes were one of the weaker teams in the league.
In a total of 78 career games with the Arizona/Utah organization, he’s scored 24 goals and 50 points. Last season was a strong one for the Edmonton native. He put up 18 goals and 35 points in 45 games. He finished the year scoring eight points in the last four games, including a goal in the final game of the Coyotes’ existence. That put him on pace for over 30 goals and 63 points in a full 82-game season. This a sign of great things to come for a player who only spent two half seasons in the big leagues.
With the way that Guenther was progressing, it was very wise for Armstrong to sign him to a new contract. Considering the forward could have another great campaign next season, Utah’s general manager might’ve saved some cap space with this move.
Utah is Ready to Make Noise
Ever since the relocation from Arizona to Utah, things have been looking up for Armstrong and his team. Not only will they be playing in an arena that’s NHL-appropriate, but they have a stronger team. Now they can have some expectations to be a bit more competitive and maybe challenge for a playoff spot in the Central Division. On top of locking down Guenther with this new contract, they’ve also brought in some nice additions in the offseason.
Via trades, they brought in defencemen Mikhail Sergachev and John Marino around the draft. Speaking of the draft, they have some new talent in Tij Iginla. Look out for Utah to make some noise this season.
Main Photo: Brett Holmes-Imagn Images
