Editor’s note: Second in a three-part series.
As a whole, the Utah Hockey Club’s defense corps this season was two things: steady and injured. If UHC can largely remove item No. 2 from that list while keeping No. 1, 2025-26 should be a good year for the team.
Mikhail Sergachev
Grade: A+
If Utah management hadn’t acquired Mikhail Sergachev last summer, the team’s playoff push would have ended weeks earlier.
Sergachev averaged more ice time per game than all but five players in the entire league this season; he was the go-to guy on both the power play and the penalty kill; he ate pucks like potato chips; and he never, ever complained.
Although it didn’t seem like it, this was a prove-it year for Sergachev. With the Tampa Bay Lightning, he had always played behind future first-ballot Hall of Famer Victor Hedman, and during the Bolts’ most dominant years, he was behind Ryan McDonagh, too.
Another forgotten fact: Sergachev missed most of the 2023-24 season with a fractured fibula and tibia. He said he had to relearn to walk. It was never certain that he’d be able to play to the same caliber that he once had — and yet he blew everyone’s expectations out of the water.
Sergachev has a quiet, calm demeanor, but it was obvious early on this season that his voice is among the most respected in Utah’s locker room. It earned him an “A” on his jersey for the first time in his NHL career and, more importantly, it allows him to implement a winning culture on a young team.
Olli Määttä
Grade: A
The relationship between Utah HC and Olli Määttä has been about as mutually beneficial as it could have been. He started the season as a regular healthy scratch with the Detroit Red Wings before being traded to the NHL’s newest franchise, where he’d get a fresh start.
He immediately steadied a scrambling defense, which, at points, was missing four right-shot defensemen. Määttä shoots left, but he was more than willing to play his off side — and he did it to near perfection.
The symbiotic relationship will continue beyond this season, as the two sides agreed to a three-year contract extension in March.
John Marino
Grade: A-
It’s seldom easy for a player to find his groove after missing nine months of hockey, but Marino barely missed a beat when he jumped into the lineup. It’s even more impressive when you consider the fact that he also had to play with new teammates and learn new systems, having been traded during his recovery.
Marino was a steady presence in Utah’s lineup at both ends of the ice. He’s seldom flashy, but he was just a few tallies short of half a point per game. He doesn’t say much, but when he does speak, he means what he says.
Michael Kesselring
Grade: B+
There is so much offensive upside to Michael Kesselring’s game. He really does seem like an Evan Bouchard lite. But, as both he and head coach André Tourigny have said before, he has some things to work on in his own end.
All things considered, it was a successful season for Kesselring. Not only was it his first time playing all 82 games in a season, it was also his first time not having to play any games in the minors.
He set new career highs in goals, assists, points, time on ice, hits, blocks and a number of other categories. If his progression continues trending in the right direction, he could earn a permanent power play spot and, more importantly, the coaching staff’s full trust.
Ian Cole
Grade: B+
The 2024-25 season was full of firsts for Ian Cole, which is ironic, considering he’s played the most games of anyone on the team.
It was his first time playing a full 82 games in a season and his first time leading the league in shot blocks. It was also his first time missing the playoffs since his rookie season and his first time signing a contract extension since 2015.
Cole was a steady presence on Utah’s back end all season. He exemplified what it’s like to be a pro, which is an important role on such a young team. If he could stay out of the penalty box a little more, his grade would be higher.
Sean Durzi
Grade: B
Sean Durzi’s injury put a damper on his season early, but it didn’t stop him from making an impact. He managed four goals and 11 points in 30 games as primarily an offensive defenseman.
Like Kesselring, Durzi’s grade would be higher if he’d been a bit better in his own zone. He improved in that regard each of the previous few seasons, but this year it seemed like he was trying to make up for missed time by making offense happen — occasionally at the cost of playing defensive hockey.
Even though he played barely more than a third of the season, his passion and his ability to connect with people made him a fan favorite. When the time comes for Durzi to hang up his skates for good, he’ll have a long TV broadcasting career waiting for him if he wants it.
Nick DeSimone
Grade: B
Nick DeSimone didn’t get to play a ton, but when he did, he was steady. Even though he was just a waiver claim, he earned enough trust to keep his roster spot the remainder of the season — even though it was at the expense of Juuso Välimäki.
DeSimone is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. It’s still not clear whether Utah plans to bring him back, but he should have no issues finding an NHL job somewhere.
Robert Bortuzzo
Grade: B-
Utah’s primary reason for signing Robert Bortuzzo was to provide a mentor for the younger players. In that sense, he did his job to perfection: The young guys always mentioned Bortuzzo’s name when talking about their role models.
His secondary job was to play third-pairing minutes. He spent most of the season on injured reserve, so he didn’t get to do that part a ton. But that didn’t stop him from both practicing and traveling with the team to accomplish priority No. 1.
Juuso Välimäki
Grade: C
It was anything but an easy season for Juuso Välimäki.
He struggled to maintain the coaches’ trust, which led to far more healthy scratches than he would have liked. He was excited to represent his home country of Finland at the 4 Nations Face-Off, but he was never called upon to suit up in a game.
When he got back from the tournament, he was soon sent down to the AHL. In his first game there, he tore his ACL.
Välimäki’s recovery timeline has him returning in late 2025, at which point he should get the chance to prove that he still belongs in the NHL.
