Utah Hockey Club goaltender Karel Vejmelka has drawn interest around the league. According to insider Pierre LeBrun, Vejmelka has been on the Carolina Hurricanes’ radar, among other teams.
Vejmelka has had a solid season thus far. So, it would make sense that teams looking for help in the crease could turn to the Hockey Club for help.
In particular, the Hurricanes are in need of another solid NHL netminder with the injury-prone Frederik Andersen teaming up with the projected goalie of the future Pyotr Kochetkov.
Earlier this season, the Canes picked up Dustin Tokarski on waivers. However, Tokarski doesn’t seem like a permanent solution for the Canes. As such, Vejmelka could be an interesting fit for Carolina.
It’s worth pointing out that Utah must make a choice regarding its future in goal. Vejmelka is a UFA at the end of this season. Meanwhile, Connor Ingram is still under contract for next year.
So, does that mean that trading Vejmelka means that Utah is committed to Ingram? Not necessarily. It could just be a business decision. If the Hockey Club feels they can get something worthwhile in return, something that could help the team now, they may be willing to pull the trigger on a deal.
Otherwise, it might make more sense to hold on to Vejmelka and try to re-sign him during the offseason. With Vejmelka playing well in Ingram’s absence, it would make sense to keep Vejmelka on the team.
Vejmelka’s 2.40 GAA and .915 SV% are certainly good enough to keep him around. He’s won three of his last four starts, looking increasingly confident with each game. So, it seems trading Vejmelka will be a question of Utah believing they can make the playoffs this season.
Utah Hockey Club within striking distance of playoff spot
The Hockey Club is hardly out of the playoff race. They sit fifth in the Central Division with 33 points but are just three points back of the Calgary Flames for the second wildcard slot in the Western Conference.
Moreover, the Hockey Club has two games in hand on the Flames and three on the Colorado Avalanche. That situation puts the Utah Hockey Club in a position to nab the second wildcard spot, if not the first.
That’s why the Hockey Club’s management must make a call on whether or not they realistically believe this team can make the playoffs in its inaugural season.
Based on this logic, it would be foolish to trade Vejmelka now. The Hockey Club needs more time to figure out where they are headed. Thus, team management must wait till after the 4 Nations Faceoff to determine if Utah is really a playoff team.
Otherwise, we could be seeing Utah turn into a buyer at the deadline. With about $8 million in cap space, the Utah Hockey Club has the means to add significant pieces at the deadline as the team looks to make a strong playoff push.