Utah Hockey Club linked to Maple Leafs blue liner after two big injuries to key defensemen

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Tom Banks
October 21, 2024 (7:24 PM)

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The Utah Hockey Club has burst onto the scene this year, but after two big injuries, they may be targeting a big trade with Toronto to save their season.

Through six games this season, not many people would have expected the Utah Hockey Club to sit at 4-1-1, but that's exactly where they are on the back of incredible starts from Dylan Guenther and Clayton Keller. Unfortunately, it hasn't been all good news however, as the team is now without both Sean Durzi and John Marino long-term as they look to push for a Stanley Cup Playoffs appearance in year one.

According to Elliotte Friedman, it sounded like they would both be out for a significant stretch when giving updates on both players.

" I heard four, five months for Durzi," revealed Friedman on the 32 Thoughts podcast.

When it comes to Marino, there's still no official timeline, but the feeling from within the organization isn't good.

"I think their update this week was it still not close," said Friedman.

Now, given how aggressive the organization was in the off-season to improve this team, it's likely that they'll look to make an addition via trade, and while Friedman didn't name-drop Timothy Liljegren, the top NHL Insider certainly hinted at it.

"You know what happens then," said Friedman. "The vultures start circling 'Ah you need a defenseman, you're short some guys, what can we separate you from that we value in return for a defenseman?'"

Given that Brad Treliving has actively been shopping Liljegren, with upwards of five teams interested in the young star, it's no surprise that Utah HC would join the conversation after the loss of two defensemen, and if they could make that happen and get both veterans healthy, this will be a very tough team to beat down the stretch.