Utah Hockey Club Makes Impression in NHL Draft by Trading for Sergachev and Marino

LAS VEGAS (AP) Whether it's about owner Ryan Smith's contagious drivethe excitement of adding two centers in the first round of the NHL draft, or the new blue suit, tie and Utah Hockey Club With the pin on his lapel, general manager Bill Armstrong woke up Saturday full of energy.

I woke up this morning after sleeping for just over two minutes and said, 'Let's shock the world,' Armstrong said.

Shock may be a challenge, but the NHL's newest market in Salt Lake City – where the Coyotes relocated from Arizona in April — made his presence felt during the second and final day of the seven-round draft at the Sphere.

Barely 10 picks in the second round, Utah completed two minutes of trading in a row in addressing its defensive needs with established veterans. The team first acquired two-time Stanley Cup champion Mikhail Sergachev from Tampa Bay in a blockbuster deal, followed by the acquisition of John Marino from New Jersey.

I'm not sure you can get there in your fourth year of rebuilding and completely tearing it down and bringing it back, Armstrong said, of how much closer he saw Utah as a contender. But it's a step in the right direction.

The club entered the draft with 13 picks and Armstrong made good on his intention to use some of them as assets. After using the team's first pick by forward Tide Iginla Son of Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla at No. 6, Armstrong traded three picks to Colorado and rose 14 spots to select center Cole Beaudoin at No. 24.

Whatever restrictions Armstrong faced in Arizona, former Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo have been canceled by Smith. The 46-year-old made his fortune in the technology industry and is now transforming Utah's sports landscape as owner of the NBA Jazz, MLS team Real Salt Lake, while also leading an effort to land the 2034 Winter Games.

Smith almost telegraphed Utah a day earlier with a more aggressive approach when asked to gradually rebuild his team's timeline.

“I like the position we were in,” Smith said. And so I think that's something that we always pay attention to. And that's the plan, until it's not the plan anymore.

A day later, Armstrong's plan has noticeably gained momentum.

A buzz went through the crowd when NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly announced the Sergachev trade early in the second round. Utah sent defenseman JJ Moser, offensive line prospect Conor Geekie, a 2025 second-round pick and the 199th pick in this year's draft.

Daly was back on the microphone not long after to let the fans and the rest of the hockey team know that Utah wasn't done yet and that he had acquired Marino and the 153rd pick from the Devils for the 49th pick and the Edmontons' 2025 second round.

We have a two-time Stanley Cup-winning 26-year-old No. 1 defenseman given up, and that's not easy to do, said Lightning GM Julien BriseBois. Kudos to Bill Armstrong and his group in Utah for bringing in such a fantastic young player.

The Lightning are the team in the midst of a three-season rebuild since winning their second straight Stanley Cup. Trading Sergachev, who is signed through 2031, saved them an annual salary cap hit of $8.5 million. They also sent Tanner Jeannot to Los Angeles.

And the Lightning is in danger of losing captain Steven Stamkoswho is still on track to become a free agent on Monday, BriseBois and agent Don Meehan confirmed Saturday.

In total, Day 2 of the draft consisted of 22 trades involving 15 players and 52 draft picks.

The Washington Capitals acquired goaltender Logan Thompson from Vegas and dealt fourth-line winger Beck Malenstyn to Buffalo. Pittsburgh acquired forward Kevin Hayes and a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft from St. Louis for future considerations.

The Toronto Maple Leafs gave up a seventh-round pick in 2026 to acquire defenseman Chris Tanev from Dallas, believing they can sign the 15th-year player before he becomes eligible for free agency.

While Smith and Armstrong warned they wouldn't be free-spenders once free agency opens Monday, that didn't mean they wouldn't improve the team in other ways during the two-day draft weekend.

In Arizona, the Coyotes were known to be in perpetual rebuilding mode, making the playoffs just once in the last dozen years as they moved from one arena to another before finally moving north.

It’s a whole new world in Utah, where the so-called Hockey Club has already generated 30,000 season-ticket sales (for this season) for a basketball facility, the Delta Center, with a seating capacity of 16,200 for hockey and soccer, not all of which are directly across from the ice. There will be a permanent name before 2025-26, with Utah HC, Blizzard, Mammoth, Outlaws, Venom and Yeti as the six possibilities.

Were the youngest state (by demographic point of view) and were also the fastest growing. So when you look at both stats, that's something the NHL can look at and say, 'Wow, like we made the right move,'” Smith said.

For Smith, it's a matter of balancing his enthusiasm and patience.

You're constantly managing conflicting emotions. You want to win now, but you want to win long term. And you want to create this culture, he said. But we're young and the future looks really bright.

It will be even sunnier after this weekend.

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AP Hockey reporter Stephen Whyno contributed to this report.

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