The Utah Hockey Club has played its first 29 games, racking up a 13-11-5 record. That record is good enough for the fifth spot in the Central Division, one point behind the fourth-place Colorado Avalanche and three points behind the third-place Dallas Stars.
That’s not a bad place to be in at this point in the season. The Hockey Club is within striking distance of a playoff spot, meaning that a solid winning streak could catapult the Hockey Club into a playoff spot.
Now, this season has been somewhat unusual as the Winnipeg Jets and Minnesota Wild are running away with the division. During a normal year, the division leaders wouldn’t have 43 and 42 points, respectively. But such is life in the NHL. Thus, the Jets and Wild's remarkable runs means that first place could be a foregone conclusion for everyone else.
That leaves second and third place up for grabs. If we toss in the St. Louis Blues, there’s a five-team race for two spots. That’s pretty tough, but not impossible to overcome.
There’s a caveat. The Utah Hockey Club has as good a chance as any team to make the playoffs. However, those chances hinge on the Hockey Club being able to beat tough opponents such as Dallas, Colorado, Vancouver, Calgary, and Seattle.
Moreover, the Utah Hockey Club will also need to beat teams from other divisions to make up ground. Sure, they can pound on the San Jose Sharks and Montreal Canadiens. But the fact of the matter is that the Hockey Club really needs to pick up as many points as possible from now till Christmas.
Utah Hockey Club will know if it’s a playoff team by Christmas
The Christmas break is a major milestone in the NHL. It’s a critical point in which teams can asses where they stand heading into the new year.
By Christmas, the season will be three months in. That situation means that most clubs will have played about half of their schedule. That is why the Christmas break allows teams to assess if they’re really in the playoff hunt.
So, that’s the deadline for the Utah Hockey Club. If the team is not within striking distance of third in the Central or a wildcard spot in the Western Conference, team management will need to determine the path forward.
That path could mean going all-in for a playoff spot or punting for next season. If the Hockey Club is well behind a playoff spot, the club could become sellers at the trade deadline. Of course, fans shouldn’t expect the Hockey Club to deal players like Dylan Guenther or Clayton Keller. But the Club could deal fringe players or veterans on expiring contracts.
That’s the business side of hockey. Teams that fall out of contention become sellers, recouping assets such as prospects or draft picks.
Ultimately, we’ll need to wait till the Christmas break to determine if the Utah Hockey Club can realistically make the playoffs this season. By then, we’ll have a good idea of the path forward for Utah in its inaugural season.