Karel Vejmelka is in a prove-it year for the Utah Hockey Club, as he’s in the final season of a contract that carries a cap hit of $2.725. So, if Vejmelka wants to stick around and make Salt Lake City his home in the foreseeable future, he must enjoy a bounce-back season and fend off the competition that is Connor Ingram.
But one look at Vejmelka’s past statistics shows that he has a long way to go. Let’s flashback to his first season in the desert, and Vejmelka struggled to an 0.898 save percentage, a 3.68 GAA, and just one shutout, logging a 0.449 quality starts percentage in the process.
He then returned in 2022-23 and progressed slightly, recording an 0.899 save percentage, a 3.43 GAA, three shutouts, and the same 0.449 quality starts percentage. If there was one positive here for Vejmelka, it’s that he played as though 2023-24 could be a breakout season in what was his age-27 campaign.
Unfortunately for Vejmelka, that wasn’t to be as not only did he regress, he also lost his job as the 1A netminder to Ingram. His quality starts percentage was a meager 0.424, while he posted just one shutout, an 0.895 save percentage, and a 3.35 GAA.
Karel Vejmelka will be down to his last chance with the Utah Hockey Club
In Karel Vejmelka’s defense, he never had a decent team playing in front of him, and you can argue the inaugural rendition of the Utah Hockey Club will be the best squad he’s ever had. But that also raises the stakes, as he must record at least a 0.900 save percentage and a 3.10 GAA to even warrant consideration to return in 2025-26.
You may even look at those numbers and laugh, but if you do, I can’t blame you. But right now, can we trust Vejmelka to even put up those halfway-decent statistics to warrant himself any hope of sticking around Utah’s state capital as this new franchise tries to build a winner?
General manager Bill Armstrong could look at the numbers I laid out, should Vejmelka reach them this year and say something like, “Well, at least it’s a somewhat solid improvement from what he’s already given the team.” Still, if another goaltender enters the free agent market and Armstrong believes they’re a better fit, Vejmelka won’t be in Salt Lake City much longer, regardless.
So, can he enjoy a bounce-back season? He might, but he better hope, even if he reaches at least a 0.900 save percentage, and that there's a weak free agent class in 2025.