What seems interesting to me is that Utah looks like it may be in the same situation as Colorado was so many moons ago, inheriting a team already built for a successful future. And the team is in the driving seat personnel-wise.
O'Brien, Dermott, and Brown are the only UFAs this summer.
Hayton is the only RFA upfront, thus fully controllable. The entire blueline aside from the aforementioned UFAs are RFAs. Every single one of them. Likely the most cost-controlled blueline in all of hockey.
Their prospect base is extremely healthy with several players in the AHL banging on the door already. And at the moment, they've got 13 picks in this summer's draft as well as 10 in the summer of '25.
Denver and SLC then become natural geographical rivals right off the bat, with Vegas not all that far away. That'll be pretty cool for the teams out there in what is an area that doesn't have a whole lot of natural rivals within suitable driving distances.
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To date, Lou hasn't been one to move younger players he doesn't plan with. He waives them or lets them walk.
If he were willing to move Wahlstrom for another team's disappointing RFA youngster, Victor Soderstrom of "Utah" would be one of the prime targets in my book.