Next week, Utah Hockey Club will be on the clock for the first time since the franchise relocated from Arizona.
The 2024 NHL Draft gets underway at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Friday, June 28 at 5 p.m. MDT and will be televised on ESPN. Utah has the No. 6 pick in the first round, along with 12 over the draft, including the 38th and 49th overall picks in the second round.
With a solid scoring core in place — Clayton Keller (33 goals, 43 assists), Nick Schmaltz (22 goals, 39 assists) and Matias Maccelli (17 goals, 40 assists), plus Lawson Crouse (23 goals, 19 assists) and Logan Cooley (20 goals, 24 assists), Utah could likely be looking for a defender at the top of the draft.
Here’s a look at four prospects Utah Hockey Club could select with the No. 6 pick.
Zeev Buium — Corey Pronman, The Athletic and Mike Morreale, NHL.com
Position: Defenseman
Previous team: University of Denver.
Height/weight: 6-foot, 186 pounds.
What they’re saying: “Utah likes big guys; I don’t think that’s much of a secret. They also have a pressing need for more defense talent, which makes players like (Sam) Dickinson and (Carter) Yakemchuk potential targets for them at six. But they also need someone who can run a power play so I can see them looking at Buium as an option at six given that he defends well enough. If they decided to go forward, (Beckett) Sennecke could make sense here too.” — Pronman
Beckett Sennecke — Chris Peters, FloHockey
Position: Right Wing
Previous team: Oshawa Generals (Ontario Hockey League)
Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 181 pounds.
What they’re saying: “Utah has some notable needs and I would not be shocked to see them address defense here, but the Sennecke buzz is real. He’s closing in on 6-foot-3 as part of an incredible growth spurt over his OHL years and has high-end hands and scoring ability. On top of that, he’s still figuring out how to use his bigger frame and the best appears to be yet to come.” — Peters
Sam Dickinson — Adam Kimelman, NHL.com
Position: Defenseman
Previous team: London (Ontario Hockey League)
Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 194 pounds.
What they’re saying: “His high hockey IQ helps him pick his spots for when to jump into the play in the offensive zone or use his great puck-moving ability to find a teammate to spark the rush. The 18-year-old is poised and controlled even when the game gets charged up. Utah has done a good job building a plus-size defense corps with Dmitry Simashev (6-4, 198), the No. 6 pick of the 2023 draft, and Maveric Lamoureux (6-6, 196), the No. 29 pick of the 2022 NHL Draft. Dickinson (6-3, 203) would fit nicely with that group.” — Peters
Tij Iginla — Craig Button, TSN
Position: Left Wing
Previous team: Kelowna (Ontario Hockey League)
Height/weight: 6-foot, 185 pounds.
What they’re saying: “Iginla’s first in every exchange. As he enters the boards with an opponent, he takes a step into their space to knock them off balance. He goes out of his way to initiate contact, even leaving the puck behind temporarily to intercept the opponent with a shoulder. In the rare instance he’s not first to the puck, he traps opponents feet to the boards or times a perfect stick lift.” — EliteProspects 2024 NHL Draft Guide