Utah appears to be willing to move their sixth overall pick in this month’s NHL Entry Draft (as per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period). The franchise could open up a lot of trade options if the reports are true, and it would be a departure for general manager Bill Armstrong, as he spent the past few seasons accumulating draft picks year after year while the team was playing in Arizona. The sixth overall pick would hold a lot of value for Utah and could certainly be part of a package to fetch the team a premium asset. For context, Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk was drafted by the Calgary Flames sixth overall in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.
The timing to move the pick makes sense, given that Utah is entering a new market, and a big trade at the draft would create a buzz around the team. They also don’t have to contend with any pending cap crunch as the team is slated to have $43.5MM in cap space (as per CapFriendly) heading into the summer. Utah also has a deep prospect cupboard and has a ton of draft picks available heading into the next few years. The team has just one first-round pick this year. However, they have 13 total picks in this year’s draft, including three second-round picks and three third-round picks. The team also holds ten picks in next year’s draft, including four second-round picks.
There is no indication as to what Armstrong might do with the pick, and he is a general manager who will go off the board at times and create a surprise. He mentioned a few weeks ago that he wasn’t “in the market for buying 33-year-olds but was looking at 23-year-old players.” If that pattern holds, it’s conceivable to think that Utah could target a younger, established NHL player with the sixth overall pick.
Some of the players who might be available to draft with the sixth overall pick this year (as per Sportsnet’s draft rankings) could be forward Tij Iginla of the Kelowna Rockets (WHL), defenseman Anton Silayev of the KHL, and defenseman Zayne Parekh, of the Saginaw Spirit (OHL).
It is not common to see teams move top-5 draft picks; however, the 6-10 picks have been traded with a lot more frequency. In 2012 the Pittsburgh Penguins dealt Jordan Staal to the Carolina Hurricanes for Brian Dumoulin, Brandon Sutter and the eighth overall pick, which they used to select Derrick Pouliot. In 2017, the New York Rangers sent Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta to Arizona for Tony DeAngelo and the seventh overall, which they used to pick Lias Andersson. Finally, just two years ago, the Ottawa Senators sent the seventh overall pick in 2022, along with a second and fourth round to Chicago for Alex DeBrincat.
I wonder if Laine to Utah could happen. Something like 4th overall plus Laine for 7th overall, maybe throw a later second round pick this or next year depending on if Colombus retains anything. Also, I doubt it happens, but maybe Pittsburgh/Toronto would be open to moving someone big for that pick.
Maybe kuznetsov and kotkaniemi for laine, cbj gets veterans to mix with the young offensive picks that are about ready to go, especially fantilli, and salary cap wise should benefit Carolina
Guhle and 26th for the 6th pick.. wonder if that’s close
Crouse and 6 to Hurricanes for Necas and 27.
Let’s all make a guess for our favourite teams
Canucks send Hronek + Podkolzin for the 6th
Ha ha!
Yep, Matthew Tkachuk was drafted sixth overall. So was Cody Glass. So was Filip Zadina. So was Jamie Drysdale. So was Jake Virtanen, Brett Connolly, Nikita Filitov, Gilbert Brule, Al Montoya, Scottie Upshall and Brian Finley, over the last 25 drafts. This leaves aside the Scott Hartnells, Sam Gagners and Derick Brassards of the lot: solid players, but possibly not what they were expecting from sixth overall.
Mo Seider & Simon Edvinsson from the Wings both went 6th overall as well. Mo anchors the Wings D and Simon will be a top 4 D-man next year
Filip Zadina was selected with a 6th OA……….
But the Wings could have and should have taken Quinn Hughes…huge mistake by Kenny Holland, who has never had a good eye for talent in the draft
My thumb was blocking the second half of the headline. All I saw at first was “Utah Willing to Move”
Lol, they should play every season in a different city, call themselves the Nomads & have a suitcase for their logo.
Flames flip Kadri, Pelletier & Canucks first overall pick (27th) to Utah for Hayton & the sixth overall…
Pittsburgh made a deal with Pittsburgh?!?
“In 2012 the Pittsburgh Penguins dealt Jordan Staal to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Brian Dumoulin, Brandon Sutter and the eighth overall pick which they used to select Derrick Pouliot.”
Fixed
Rutherford was thinking ahead.
Derrick Pouliot.
When Filip Forsberg was sitting right there.
Still can’t believe it.
It’s easy to believe, really. We’re all great at 20:20 hindsight, but it’s not just one team. It’s ALL teams. The draft is a crapshoot where people gauge the ability of teenagers to mature into pro stars. Over the past forty or so years, about a quarter of first rounders are marginal pros, and about one in five play fewer than a dozen career NHL games.
Meanwhile, how many stars and Hall of Famers were drafted in the fourth round or later? Aside from the glittering example of Luc Robitaille – 9th round in 87 — we’re talking guys like Milan Hejduk, Marty Turco, Daniel Alfredsson, Evgeni Nabokov, Tomas Vokoun, Steve Sullivan … in the 1994 draft alone. One of my favorite draft oddities is this: Patric Hornqvist, the very last player drafted in 2005, outscored EVERY PLAYER drafted in the first round that year except for Sid, Anze Kopitar and TJ Oshie. (As well as every player selected in the whole rest of the draft as well, excepting James Neal, Paul Stastny, Keith Yandle and Kris Letang.) Crap shoot.