Players like Kevin Stenlund could help the Utah Hockey Club win a championship someday. No, it’s not happening this season unless something dramatic happens, but once Utah is competing regularly, a player like Stenlund will be one to lean on.
If you know a lot about him, you may be asking why I’m so big on someone who has only played one full NHL season and has never put up over 15 points in a single campaign. Well, there are a couple of reasons he can be not just a good fit but a player who will help take Utah a long way, and it comes with the ability to make the most of his minutes, stealing pucks, landing body checks, and winning faceoffs.
Last season, Stenlund scored just 11 goals and ended the year with 15 points, but he averaged just 12:36 of total ice time. That said, he also won 51.4 percent of his faceoffs and 429 total while laying out opponents 83 times, stealing the puck 36 times, and blocking 55 would-be shots on net.
Kevin Stenlund could provide hidden value for the Utah Hockey Club
Oh, and before I go any further, may I remind you that Stenlund also finished the 2023-24 season with a Stanley Cup? He played in 81 regular season games last year for the Florida Panthers, meaning he was rather valuable over in Sunrise, and he appeared in 24 of the team’s playoff games.
He claimed a respectable 11:17 of average ice time, maintained his faceoff win percentage from the regular season, stole the puck 11 times, blocked 11 shots, and landed 49 body checks, or at least two per game. Should Stenlund continue to average a pair of hits per contest, he’ll transform into one of the league’s most physical players while maintaining a reliable presence in the faceoff dot.
That said, if Utah wants to attain, keep, and maintain possession, someone like Stenlund will help them in that regard. In Salt Lake City, I’m looking for him to make most of his starts in the defensive zone, and go from there, even more than he did last season, in which his defensive zone starting percentage sat at 57.0 at even strength.