NHL Utah: Predicting Contract Renewals for 6 Defensemen – Hockey Writers – NHL Utah

Utah Hockey Club general manager Bill Armstrong has about $40 million in cap space this offseason. However, a lot will have to be spent on bringing back these six defensemen, if they want to re-sign in Utah: Sean Durzi, JJ Moser, Juuso Välimäki, Josh Brown, Travis Dermott, and Michael Kesselring. Here's a look at what their next contracts should look like.

Sean Durzi

After trading defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere to the Carolina Hurricanes at the NHL Trade deadline, the Arizona Coyotes, with plenty of draft picks in their basket, wanted to bring in another defenseman with similar offensive power. On June 24, 2023, they traded a 2024 second-round pick to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Sean Durzi from the Los Angeles Kings. The Canadian posted career-highs in assists (32) and points (41) in his third season in the league and was given a pair of career highs and power play minutes, averaging more than 22 minutes per game.

Durzi continued to increase his points total and improve his plus/minus during his young career. However, to strengthen his chances of being paid as a top player, he will need to be consistent. In his first 41 games as a Coyote, he scored eight goals. In the second half of the season, he scored just one goal, an empty netter in the Coyotes' final game in Arizona.

While defensemen can't always be trusted with their scoring abilities, one goal in the second half is unacceptable, especially playing on Arizona's top power play with Nick Schmaltz and Clayton Keller. However, 19 of his 32 points on the year came on the power play.

The 25-year-old still has a few more years before he starts playing. Coming off the final year of a $1.7 million annual deal, look for him to get a raise as he is arguably Utah's best tight end.

If he decides to bring back Durzi, I can see Armstrong going one of two ways. Utah can give him a bridge contract (two to three years) to prove he can be worth $4.5 million to $5 million per year. Then, if he becomes a 50-plus point scorer and can be productive at 5-on-5, management may lock him up for a long time.

Or, if Armstrong thinks he's seen enough promise in their 6-foot, 188-pound defenseman, he's offered him a five-year deal worth $6.5 million to $7 million. Although this deal has a little risk in it, by showing confidence in their free agent (RFA), he will not lack confidence in his game. It will be interesting to see how much the gun on the right gets. The last Coyotes defenseman to be paid top dollar was Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

JJ Moser

Durzi's defensive partner this season is Swiss-born JJ Moser. The 6-foot-1, 173-pound, lefty was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in the second round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft by the Coyotes. The New York Islanders sent forward Andrew Ladd and several picks (Colorado's 2021 second was one of them) to the Coyotes to take Ladd's cap hit.

Related: Utah GM Bill Armstrong will have a busy 2024 offseason

During Arizona's roster overhaul for the 2021 offseason, Armstrong wasted no time in signing Moser to play at the NHL level outside of the draft. He provided a two-way and versatile style of play around a defensive core that continued to change over the course of several seasons. In the past two years in the desert, Moser has been a 20- to 30-point player and can play on the left or right side for head coach André Tourigny.

That being said, the 24-year-old is a year younger than Durzi, giving him more time to develop before hitting the ground running. Moser still has top four power and is impactful during the draw. While he is splitting time for the Coyotes' secondary, he is still improving his offensive skills. With his rookie deal expiring, look for Utah to sign him to a three-year deal worth $3.5 million to $4 million per year.

Juuso Välimäki

The 25-year-old player was claimed off the Calgary Flames by the Coyotes on Oct. 8, 2022. The first round pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft struggled to reach his draft status in Calgary. Since then, Välimäki renewed his work in Arizona; he scored 34 points in 78 games in the 2022-23 season. That same year, the Finnish native earned time on the Coyotes' senior power play unit.

With Durzi's acquisition, he and Moser split time at Arizona's second power play spot the following season. Playing in 10 fewer games, he scored 17 points as his career ended in 2023-24. In addition, to start the season, the Coyotes had defensemen Troy Stecher and Matt Dumba competing for ice time.

While Välimäki may have had a down year since his career best season, like all the defensemen mentioned so far, he is still young and has room to grow. After all, the Coyotes got him for nothing by firing him. Even though his point production was down from the year before, he had the best plus/minus ratio for the Coyotes at plus-12 and made nearly $1.5 million a year over the past two seasons. So, by giving him a two-year contract worth $1.75 million to $2 million, he can continue to hone his craft, playing on Utah's second or third defensive pairings.

Travis Dermott

I think Travis Dermott is the most likely to be re-signed out of the top six, but he is an underrated defender. After playing 28 games over the past two seasons with the Vancouver Canucks, he joined Arizona looking to prove his worth as an NHL regular. The Canadian partnered with Josh Brown for most of the season and struggled. He was minus-14 (the worst plus/minus ratio of his career) and had the fourth-worst plus/minus average on the Coyotes, playing in 50 games.

On the bright side, Dermott produced his best offensive campaign in four seasons, with seven points. If the left tackle is brought back to play for Utah, he is the seventh defenseman who can be included in the lineup on a regular basis. Making $1.5 million this season, he expects to take a pay cut as his role on the team will likely be reduced. This one-year deal ranging from $1 million to $1.25 million will be a make-it-or-break contract in Utah's first season.

Josh Brown

The 6-foot-5, 220-pound, right-handed shooter had his best NHL season to date, posting career-highs in assists (7) and points (10) at age 30. Brown is a shot-blocking defender who is a reliable killer. Over the past two seasons, he blocked 203 shots and gave up 264 hits in 119 games.

Although Brown may lack speed and offensive skills, he is not afraid to stand up for his teammates and stir the pot. The sixth-round pick by the Florida Panthers in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft has been in 12 games over the past two seasons. I think Armstrong will have to choose between Dermott or Brown as an extra defenseman next season. Assuming they sign top defensemen or other positions for $40 million in cap space, there may not be room for either of them to get the playing time they want in 2024-25. Expect him to get a slight raise on a one-year deal for $1.5 million.

Michael Kesselring

The American-born defenseman was acquired with a 2023 third-round pick from the Edmonton Oilers in forward Nick Bjugstad and defenseman Cam Dineen. Kesselring was tied for second in plus/minus ratio at Arizona with a plus-11. The 24-year-old played 65 games this season, scoring five goals and 21 points. The Coyotes got a lot of value from the deal as they were playing in Bakersfield with the Condors of the American Hockey League (AHL) at the time. Bjugstad re-signed with Arizona for the following season.

The 6-foot-4, 190-pound, right-handed shooter wasn't afraid to mix things up, either. Kesserling has dropped the gloves several times this season. Considering he's only played 74 games at the NHL level, Utah management should be happy with what they've seen from him. The Oilers' sixth-round pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft still has time to develop and prove his worth. So far, you are on the right track. His rookie contract is up, so he should get a three-year deal worth $1.5 million to $2 million per year.

After signing defensemen Patrick Koch and Vladislav Kolyachonok before the free agency opened on Monday, former first baseman Victor Söderström's contract is up for renewal. After a brief stint with the Coyotes four seasons ago, he may be ready to make the jump to the NHL full time. Still, it will be interesting to see if Utah decides to make any splash in free agency before its first season.