After three years in Winnipeg, Schmidt was bought out this summer and lands with the Panthers on a one-year deal. He reconnects with former head coach Paul Maurice, who was behind the Jets' bench in 2022. Most recently, Schmidt had 14 points (2G / 12A) in 63 games while also racking up 66 hits and 76 blocked shots.
Agozzino has consistently put up points at the AHL level but has just 12 points in 51 career NHL games with the Avalanche, Ducks, Penguins, Senators and Sharks. In 2024, Agozzino was seventh in the AHL with 64 points (26G / 38A) in 72 games. Expect him to open the season in the AHL once again.
Matikka was Utah's 2022 3rd round pick (67th overall) and has earned himself a three-year, entry-level contract after a successful opening season at the University of Denver (NCAA). The 20-year-old Finnish right-winger made a strong impact in his first season at Denver, with 20 goals, and 33 points in 43 games played.
Ian Cole will begin his 15th NHL season with his ninth team after signing a one-year, $3.1 million deal with Utah on Monday. The 35-year-old defensemen completed 70+ games for a third straight season after putting up two goals, 11 points, and 61 PIMs in 78 games with Vancouver in 2023-24.
Utah is adding a Stanley Cup Champion in-depth forward Kevin Stenlund on a two-year, $4 million ($2,000,000 AAV) contract. The 27-year-old achieved career-highs in goals (11) and points (15) in 2023-24 across 81 games played.
Utah added to its defensive depth by adding 34-year-old Kevin Connauton to a two-year deal worth $1.55 million ($775K AAV) on Monday. The travelling defensemen last appeared in the NHL in 2021-22 with Philadelphia. In 2023-24, he was an assistant captain for Ontario (AHL) and had three goals and 18 points in 61 games played.
Durzi made a strong first impression in his first season in Arizona and has earned a four-year, $24 million ($6,000,000 AAV) contract extension with Utah. The 25-year-old offensive defensemen took a massive step forward in 2023-24, with nine goals, 41 points, 142 SOG, 63 PIMs and a -1 plus/minus in 76 games played.
Schmidt is in the final season of a six-year, $35.7 million contract that he signed with Vegas back in 2018 and has been placed on unconditional waivers for the purposes of a buyout on Sunday. The 32-year-old is in his 12th NHL season and is set to be owed $5,950,000 in 2024-25. In 63 games played with Winnipeg in 2023-24, he had two goals, 14 points, 75 SOG and a +10 plus/minus.
Utah acquired its second big defensive piece of the day Saturday by grabbing John Marino and a 2024 5th Round Pick from New Jersey for a 2024 2nd Round Pick and a 2025 2nd Round Pick. The 27-year-old Marino completed his fifth NHL season in 2023-24 and had four goals, 25 points, 41 PIMs and 57 SOG in 75 games played.
Utah surprised the hockey world on Saturday morning as it acquired highly coveted defenseman Mikhail Sergachev from Tampa Bay for JJ Moser, Conor Geekie, a 2024 2nd Round Pick and a 2024 7th Round Pick. The 26-year-old defenseman will join his third NHL team in his eight-year career and had two goals and 19 points in 34 games in 2023-24. He is one season removed from a 10-goal, 64-point campaign in 2022-23.
Crowd favourite Liam "Spicy Tuna" O'Brien will be returning to Utah after the team announced on Wednesday that they have signed him to a three-year, $3 million contract extension ($1,000,000 AAV). The 29-year-old bruising forward completed his third straight 100+ PIM season in 2023-24 and had five goals, 14 points, 72 SOG and 153 PIMs in 75 games played.
McCartney was drafted in the seventh round in 2020 and has appeared in just two career NHL games since. The 22-year-old winger spent the entire 2024 season in the AHL, where he scored six goals with 16 assists (22 points) in 46 games with the Tucson Roadrunners.
Desimone was claimed off waivers by the Devils in January and had two points (1G / 1A) in 11 NHL games with the Devils. Prior to being waived, he had five points (1G / 4A) in 23 games with the Flames. Expect Desimone to be a sixth or seventh defenseman for the Devils in 2024-25.
Utah solidified their goaltending depth on Wednesday as they signed goaltender Matt Villalta to a two-year, two-way contract extension. The 25-year-old spent the majority of his 2023-24 with Tucson (AHL) but made his NHL debut for two games with Arizona, going 0-1-0 with a 4.17 GAA and .828 SV%.
Schmidt has yet to appear in the playoffs for Winnipeg but will replace Logan Stanley on Winnipeg's third defensive pair on Friday for Game 3 in Colorado. The 32-year-old had two goals, 14 points, 75 SOG, 16 PIMs and a +10 plus/minus in 63 games played during the regular season.
Sergachev has been out since February 7th due to a lower-body injury and has unfortunately been ruled out for the remainder of the first round. The 25-year-old appeared in only 34 games this season and had two goals, 19 points, 53 SOG, 16 PIMs and a -16 plus/minus.
Sergachev was initially ruled out for all of Round 1, but participating in full on Saturday suggests that he's getting close to returning to the Lightning lineup. At this point, consider him questionable to play in Game 1 on Sunday.
