(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club center Nick Bjugstad (17) brings the puck up the ice versus the Seattle Kraken at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Tuesday, April 8, 2025.
With its inaugural season in the books, Utah Hockey Club will take the summer to evaluate its personnel, what the team needs moving forward and what it can let go of.
As part of that, general manager Bill Armstrong has a group of Utah free agents that he will have to decide whether to re-up or let walk.
Here is a list of those players and where their futures in Salt Lake City stand:
Michael Carcone made his situation very clear. The forward will not be back with Utah Hockey Club next season.
“I love the guys in there, great group. I don’t think that’s going to be the answer, though. I don’t think we’re going to agree on anything,” Carcone said. “I spoke to the coaching staff and management and I think we’re going to go in different directions.”
Carcone was in the last year of his contract, which carried a $775,000 average annual value (AAV). Now, he will look for a new team. The 28-year-old said he was looking for more consistency and playing time — two things it seems the Club could not offer moving forward.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club left wing Michael Carcone (53) moves the puck down the ice during the third period of the NHL game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, Dec. 23, 2024.
After posting 29 points (21 goals, eight assists) through 74 games last season, Carcone was in the lineup for just 53 games this year and had 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists). He was used as Utah’s 13th forward for chunks of the season — and healthy scratched — but when he was in, Carcone offered speed, snarl and a shot that was not as productive as needed.
“There’s two parts of it. There’s the business side — it is what it is. At the end of the day, you need to perform. It is the best league in the world. My job is to put the guy that performs the most on the ice,” head coach André Tourigny said. “But then, there’s the personal side. Michael Carcone is one of my favorite guys in the locker room. He’s a great guy, fun to talk to, straight shooter, great family.”
Did Carcone feel like he was given enough of an opportunity to prove himself in his contract year?
“No. I don’t,” Carcone said. “And that’s OK. I understand the business side of things and where this team needs to go.”
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club head coach Andre Tourigny watches during the game against the Detroit Red Wings at Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, March 24, 2025.
Heading into the free-agent market this summer, Carcone is remembering his value. After spending the better part of seven years in the AHL, the undrafted winger has always played with a chip on his shoulder and knows — partially due to his 5-foot-9 stature — that he will have to work twice as hard.
“I think you just look back at the success you’ve had,” Carcone said. “I’ve scored 20 goals in this league. There’s no reason I can’t do it again. I think I can do better, to be honest. Just staying confident.”
Nick Bjugstad joked that he would not give much of a pitch for outside free agents to come to Utah. He, after all, is gunning to re-up that position.
“Well, I’m a free agent so it sucks here,” the veteran quipped.
Bjugstad is another player who did not have the season he wanted. The center revealed during exit-day interviews that he underwent surgery last summer and that is what kept him out of the lineup early in the season. It also made it harder for Bjugstad to find his game.
Bjugstad — who was a stalwart bottom-six skater for Utah — had 19 points (eight goals, 11 assists) in 66 games. Last season with the Arizona Coyotes, he had 45 points (22 goals, 23 assists) in 73 games, good for fourth on the team. The 32-year-old just finished the last year of his contract, which had a $2.1 million AAV.
Utah Hockey Club center Nick Bjugstad (17) smiles on the ice during warmups prior to an NHL hockey game against the San Jose Sharks, Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)
“Obviously we’ll see what happens. I liked it here and we’ll see where Bill is at. He’s got some decisions to make and he has a lot of guys in the pipeline,” Bjugstad said. “For me, the main focus is going to be getting back to my full strength and I think I can do that and have a good summer. We’ll see what transpires but I’ve loved the city, loved the people and the organization.”
It does not help that the Club signed Alex Kerfoot to a one-year contract extension in March. Kerfoot — while he brings a different size and skillset — is a 30-year-old depth forward who can play both the wing and center roles, as can Bjugstad. Does Utah need both?
“We’re going to do some evaluations in the next few days and get down to it whether those types of players will come back into the organization,” Armstrong said. “We’re very fortunate to have Bjugy. He was in our organization for a long time. He’s an incredible human being. He has helped develop our culture. He’s a big part of it.”
Nick DeSimone was a sneaky find by Armstrong.
The 30-year-old defenseman was claimed off waivers by Utah from the New Jersey Devils on Jan. 5 when the Club was still dealing with injuries on the backend. DeSimone provided reliable insurance as a seventh — and sometimes sixth — defenseman when the team needed him.
“Nick DeSimone was an add that really came in at the right time and patched some holes,” Armstrong said. “He was so calm in how he played and such an impressive person. Those are evaluations we will have to do over the next few days and make decisions.”
DeSimone was on a one-year, $775,000 deal with the New Jersey Devils (which Utah then took on) and may have to test the market this summer.
Utah Hockey Club defense Nick DeSimone juggles the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Winnipeg Jets, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)
The Club has their top-six defensemen locked in for next season as well as prospects in the pipeline (like Maverick Lamoureux, Artem Duda and Dmitriy Simashev). So, that makes things a bit crowded. But management likely does not want to call up their young blueliners to be in an “extra” role. DeSimone fills a different purpose — one that Utah (unless it stays perfectly healthy) will need.
“I would like to be back. I feel like I fit in well on and off the ice. Not up to me and higher powers figure that out,” DeSimone said. “I think I just proved that I can play nightly and kind of help the team. Every night you still have to prove it. Just coming in playing my game — fit in with the system we play, fast, moving pucks.”
Robert Bortuzzo likely will not be back in Utah next season; he may not even be in the NHL.
The 36-year-old, who just completed his 14th year in the league, hinted at retirement at the end of the Club’s inaugural campaign. Bortuzzo was put back in the lineup (he played just 17 cumulative games) for Utah’s last matchup of the season against the St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center. The defenseman spent 10 years with the Blues and won the Stanley Cup there in 2019.
(Melissa Majchrzak | AP) Utah Hockey Club defensemen Robert Bortuzzo (41) in action on during the third period against the Ottawa Senators at an NHL hockey game, Tuesday Oct 22, 2024, in Salt Lake City.
With family in attendance and an emotional pregame interview, it seemed it could have been Bortuzzo’s final showing in the NHL. He did not make an official announcement, though.
“Obviously I have some decisions to be made here,” Bortuzzo said. “Don’t exactly know what the future holds hockey-wise.”
While the veteran did not see much time on the ice, the Utah locker room appreciated him for his winning experience, tenured perspective and leadership advice for the younger players.
“Very grateful for what the game has given me,” Bortuzzo said. “I’ve been extremely fortunate to be where I am. I came into the league looking to play one game and it turned into a few years, and the next thing you know you’ve played 14 years.”
Kailer Yamamoto did not attend Utah’s exit-day interviews because he was quickly assigned to the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners following the Club’s last game of the season to help the affiliate with its respective playoff push, and now, run.
The forward, though, did comment earlier this month about wanting to earn a one-way contract with Utah. Yamamoto played nine games up with the Club to close out the NHL year and viewed it as a chance to prove himself – to both Utah and front offices around the league — that he can be a nightly contributor at this level.
(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club right wing Kailer Yamamoto rests during a stoppage in play versus the Seattle Kraken at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Tuesday, April 8, 2025.
Yamamoto entered training camp on a professional tryout and signed a one-year, two-way contract with Utah in October. He spent most of the season in Tucson, though, where he had 56 points (20 goals, 36 assists) in 54 games. Yamamoto posted three points (two goals, one assist) in 12 games in Utah — and held a top-six role through stretches of it.
It is unclear if the 26-year-old has a future with the organization. Given his limited role this season — and personal desire to be a regular in the NHL — Salt Lake City may not be the fit.
Jack McBain has a different situation than the names above because he is a restricted free agent.
Because McBain is coming off his first deal since his entry-level contract, his rights still belong to Utah Hockey Club and the team has some protection of him, too.
As an RFA, McBain cannot play the market like a UFA. The only team that can sign McBain with a standard player contract is Utah. Other teams could sign McBain only through offer sheets. An offer sheet would force Utah to either match the offer to keep McBain or allow him to sign with a new organization and get a draft pick in return (based on the value of the deal).
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club center Jack McBain (22) and Utah Hockey Club defenseman Mikhail Sergachev (98), in NHL action between the Utah Hockey Club and the San Jose Sharks, at the Delta Center, on Friday, Jan 10, 2025.
As an example, last summer, the St. Louis Blues tendered offer sheets to RFAs Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway (who were previously on the Edmonton Oilers). The Oilers did not match the offers, so Broberg and Holloway became Blues — and, ultimately, a big part of the team’s push for the playoffs this season.
It seems, though, that the Club is committed to bringing McBain back. And Utah is also where the forward wants to be.
“The treatment, top down, is unbelievable. Living in Utah is amazing,” McBain said. “We’ll see what happens this summer. I love this group that we have in the locker room. A lot of close relationships with the guys. You’re an RFA so it’s not like you can do too much. But I think it’s an exciting group to be a part of.”
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