June 17: As they did hours earlier with Noel Nordh, the Utah Hockey Club made Lutz’s signing official Monday.
May 26: Utah made a move today as they signed forward Julian Lutz to a three-year entry-level contract (as per CapFriendly). The native of Weingarten, Germany, was the Arizona Coyotes’ second-round pick in the 2022 NHL entry draft (43rd overall) and struggled with injuries in the following season, playing in just 24 games in the DEL with EHC Red Bull München and posting just a single goal and seven assists.
Last year, the 20-year-old made the jump to the United States Hockey League and was dominant in his first season with the Green Bay Gamblers, registering 24 goals and 44 assists in just 50 games and two goals and two assists in six playoff games.
Internationally, Lutz has represented Germany on multiple occasions, including the 2024 World Junior Championships in two separate years, tallying a goal and three assists in ten games. He also represented Germany’s U18 team in the 2021-22 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, posting two goals in four games.
Lutz’s three-year deal will carry a cap hit of $923K and will see him receive $95K in signing bonuses in each of the three years of the deal. His average annual value on the deal is $950K, while the NHL salaries break down as $775K in year one and $855K in years two and three. Lutz will earn $82,500 while playing in the AHL.
Sorry, but Lutz wasn’t “Utah’s second-round pick” in 2022. He was Arizona’s — at least give us Yotes’ fans that much!
Seems a little odd to go from the DEL to the USHL.
This will be tricky going from a de facto money laundering operation to functioning like a real team now (hehe). :D