Utah Hockey Club Looking To Acquire Huge Star From The Columbus Blue Jackets

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Daniel Lucente
October 24, 2024 (7:07 PM)

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The Utah Hockey Club have been decimated with injuries to start their inaugural season, and they are now looking to acquire Ivan Provorov from Columbus.

According to TSN's Pierre LeBrun, the Utah Hockey Club has expressed interest in Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Ivan Provorov. This comes after losing key players Sean Durzi and John Marino to long-term injuries. Utah is exploring its options after the injuries but, according to LeBrun's report, a deal for Provorov is not imminent.

Utah general manager Bill Armstrong has spoken with several teams regarding possible trade options, though nothing terribly serious on the team's part. Provorov is a good short-term addition since he could become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Being a rental, he'd be merely a quick fix without any long-term commitment.

While there is interest in external reinforcements, Utah is looking inwardly for internal fixes to their injury crisis for now. The club is off to a good start to its first season, 4-2-1, after calling up Maveric Lamoureux, the team's 2022 first-round pick, to temporarily strengthen the backline.

The injuries have come hard to Utah, as Durzi is expected to miss four to six months after undergoing surgery on a shoulder. Also, the 27-year-old Marino, acquired over the summer in a trade from the New Jersey Devils, will also be out for the next three to four months as he underwent a procedure on his back.

While Ivan Provorov does have a more than reasonable $6.75-million cap hit and is a free agent at the end of the season, moving him, too, would make him a viable short-term option, but Utah is treading carefully and avoiding making any major trades just yet. Their decision likely will rest in how they get through this stretch of the season and whether their internal replacements prove able to step up.