Utah HC's top prospects to watch at 2024-25 training camp
Belief in the team's future is an integral factor for fan support, and Utah HC has plenty of that with their top prospects as they enter their inaugural training camp in 2024-25. Utah HC will play their first season in Salt Lake City after moving from Arizona, and the hype around the team isn't a mistake. Utah HC has plenty of young talent ready to capture the hearts of the market, and it all starts in the preseason.
Here are three top prospects who fans should be keeping an eye on at training camp.
Tij Iginla hopes to get an exhibition game
Utah HC had their first roadblock of training camp when they announced that Tij Iginla would be out with a lower-body injury. However, general manager Bill Armstrong hopes that Iginla will be able to hit the ice at the end of camp. Iginla is a longshot to make the team, as he's likely to return to Kelowna for the season. It'll also allow him to star with Team Canada at the World Junior Championship.
The top prospects who have a chance to make the team are usually the players more exciting to watch. However, there is intrigue around Iginla as the franchise's first draft pick. It'll also gain mainstream recognition as Iginla is the son of Hall of Famer Jarome. Everyone will tune in to Tij's first game with Utah if he can play in an exhibition game before returning to the Western Hockey League.
Could Iginla prove everyone wrong and make Utah HC out of training camp? It wouldn't be the wisest move for his development, but Iginla has been proving people wrong all year. Iginla had an outside chance of being a first-round draft pick entering the 2023-24 season. A stellar start to the year elevated him up the rankings, and he was eventually the sixth-overall selection. He had a breakout season, tallying 47 goals and 37 assists.
It's hard to see Iginla being ready to compete with grown men after one good season in the Canadian Hockey League. He will likely need one or two seasons in the WHL before making his Utah debut in the regular season. Utah does have time to wait, as they have plenty of young players in the pipeline and making their debuts.
Maveric Lamoureux has the size for the NHL
Maveric Lamoureux looks like he'd play a Zdeno Chara-style of defense. He towers over opponents, and you'd expect him to be a dominating physical presence. However, that isn't his game, as he prefers a more offensive style of play.
Lamoureux may not be the top prospect in Utah HC's system, but he could be the most exciting player overall at training camp. He is an elite skater, which is crazy to watch when you see how massive he is. He also has an elite set of hands, which players with that long of a stick aren't supposed to have. Chara was one of the top defensemen of his era, but he looked like he was dribbling a basketball when trying to stickhandle.
Don't let Lamoureux's offensive skillset fool you. If an opposing player comes over his blueline with their head down, he will drive his shoulder into them with punishing force. He can contribute on the offensive end but also hurt opponents in the defensive zone, explaining why his potential is exciting to monitor in the organization.
The problem with Lamoureux's skillset is that he's prone to making mistakes. He must clean up those issues before he can play full-time in the NHL. If Lamoureux's exhibition games show that he cleaned up those issues, it could be time to elevate him to Utah HC.
Josh Doan looks to carry torch
Tij Iginla isn't the only son of a former NHLer at Utah's training camp. Josh Doan made his NHL debut last season to end the year, which was a fitting end to the Arizona Coyotes era. Shane Doan was an Arizona hockey legend, playing his entire career with the franchise after they moved from Winnipeg.
Arizona fans would've loved to watch his son grow up in a Coyotes sweater. However, the arena issues caused that to be impossible. Nevertheless, Josh will now try to carve his path in a new location, as his father did in the Winnipeg to Arizona move.
Can Doan replicate his father's career? Shane had 402 goals and 570 assists in 1540 games. He never won individual or team awards and wasn't one of the league's top players, but he was a legend in Arizona. Josh began showing signs of being that last year when he debuted and had five goals and four assists in 11 games.
They may have rushed Doan's debut to let him play some games in Arizona before they moved, but Doan opted to prove his worth instead. It's hard to see Doan not making Utah HC out of training camp after last year's performance.
