SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Hockey Club general manager Bill Armstrong said he believes the 2024 NHL Draft is “wide open” after the San Jose Sharks make the first pick.
The 62nd NHL Draft will be held at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada from June 28-29.
On Tuesday, June 28, Armstrong previewed the two-day event with the media.
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“I think it’s probably an interesting draft in the sense that there’s basically anywhere from 10-12 guys that have the chance to go after the number one pick comes off the board,” Armstrong told KSL Sports. “So it’s wide open.”
The general manager added he thinks the draft will feature some surprises.
“There’s a lot of different ways the draft could go,” Armstrong said.
Armstrong said that he likes how his team is positioned with 13 picks, the most of any team in the league. Utah also owns the No. 6 overall pick in the first round.
“It’s a really good position to be in. This is the way that we designed it and built it,” Armstrong continued. “We’re an organization that will have a chance to win a championship, but only through the draft. That’s a big part of what we’re doing.”
The GM said that “very rarely” are “high-end” players traded for but rather top centers, defensemen, and goalies land with teams through the draft process.
“That’s what we’ve tried to do,” Armstrong said of getting young talent through the draft.
Utah worked out 12 players with projections outside of the first three rounds. The team got a look at the potential early-round picks at the NHL Combine.
Bill Armstrong has big plans for the Utah NHL team! 👀 pic.twitter.com/rtx0kBLUCc
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) April 30, 2024
Armstrong said the No. 6 pick will be “an impact player at some point in their career.”
Utah’s general manager said that sometimes you can find a player early in the draft that will hit the ice at the NHL right away. However, Armstrong said Utah HC is in a position where it wants to develop its players. He didn’t rule out the franchise’s draft selections making the NHL team in training camp, but it usually “takes them a little bit of time and development. Armstrong said it’s “highly unlikely” Utah’s No. 6 pick will play at the NHL level in the 2024-25 season.
The GM is a “firm believer” in allowing young players to play a lot of minutes in the minor league and develop into an NHL player who will “fight harder” after learning lessons in the AHL.
“That’s part of our process,” Armstrong said. “When they come up, they’ll be extra ready.”
🏒 𝐍𝐇𝐋 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲 🏒
Join us June 28th for this free-to-attend event at @DeltaCenter 🎉
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— Utah Hockey Club (@utahhockeyclub) June 17, 2024
The GM said that Utah will look to address its depth and defense this offseason. However, Armstrong expects to add defensemen, “a few other pieces,” and more talent through free agency.
After watching the Florida Panthers defeat the Edmonton Oilers to win the Stanley Cup a night earlier, Armstrong said Utah “definitely” has the chance to add some of the winning traits he saw in the playoffs.
One of the trends Armstrong called out was that “power plays are very dominant now.” He said the power play percentage of scoring has been “through the roof.” Armstrong also shared that the teams that were winning against them were ones with good penalty kills.
GM Bill Armstrong says the team “just needs ice” to be ready for next season.
He added that @RyanQualtrics “gets things done.”#NHLinUtah #NHL pic.twitter.com/iYLtGaoCl2
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) April 24, 2024
“They’re difference makers,” the GM said of elite power play and penalty kill players. “We’ve got to be very conscious of that. Anytime that we can add that in the draft will certainly help our team.”
He also said teams that are physical, outhit their opponent, and have “size and grit” are trends that always stay the same for him.
The NHL Draft will be held in Las Vegas from June 28-29. The two-day event will begin with a first round of selections on June 28 followed by rounds 2-7 the next day.
Utah owns 13 picks in the draft, including No. 6 overall in the first round.
Round 1: Friday, June 28 at 5 p.m. (MT)
Rounds 2-7: Saturday, June 29 at 9:30 a.m. (MT)
Rounds 2-7: NHL Network and ESPN+
It's officially @NHL Draft week! 🏒#NHLDraft #NHL #UtahHC https://t.co/1CWbFjgqfU
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) June 23, 2024
RELATED: Top 2024 NHL Draft Prospects For Utah
The first round order of the draft is set to be the following:
Kyle Ireland is a Utah Hockey Club Insider for KSLSports.com. Follow him on X (@kyleireland), Threads (@kyleirelandksl), and Instagram (@kyleirelandksl).
