Utah Improves Blue Line Before First Season

By Nathan Moser

The Utah NHL club has gone to work on improving their defense significantly this offseason. They acquired Mikhail Sergachev from the Tampa Bay Lightning, and also received John Marino from the New Jersey Devils. They also locked up Sean Durzi to a contract extension and signed Ian Cole as a free agent. To say that Utah general manager Bill Armstrong has been busy reworking the blue line would be an understatement. The roster already had another two defenders on their team from the Arizona Coyotes Era in Juuso Valimaki and Michael Kesselring. That is where things stand currently. On the official Utah team website, the defense is made up of Marino, Sergachev, Cole, Durzi, Kesselring, and Valimaki.

Marino and Sergachev Become Staples

With a lot of changeovers on the Utah backend, two defenders who have the opportunity to be leaders for the franchise are Sergachev and Marino. With Sergachev, he knows what it takes to win the Stanley Cup multiple times. He was a key player on Tampa’s blue line along with other players like Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh, and Erik Cernak among others. Originally drafted in 2016 by the Montreal Canadiens, he was dealt to Tampa and he grew his stats as a solid talent who was so important to how the team played. While with the Lightning, Sergachev notched the following:

• 2017-18: nine goals and 31 assists for 40 points in 79 games
• 2018-19: six goals and 26 assists for 32 points in 75 games
• 2019-20: 10 goals and 24 assists for 34 points in 70 games
• 2020-21: four goals and 26 assists for 30 points in 56 games
• 2021-22: seven goals and 31 assists for 38 points in 78 games
• 2022-23: 10 goals and 54 assists for 64 points in 79 games
• 2023-24: two goals and 17 assists for 19 points in 34 games

Looking back, Montreal probably wishes they had given Sergachev more time, because he could still be a vital part of their blue line if they waited a little longer for the production to come. As great as things were with the Lightning though, the salary cap was an issue that Tampa had to deal with. Along with letting go of captain Steven Stamkos in free agency to the Nashville Predators, the Lightning also moved on from Sergachev by dealing him to Utah. Credit goes to Armstrong for acquiring a stellar talent and taking advantage of a tough position that Tampa was in with the cap.

Marino was also Armstrong taking advantage of another team’s lineup situation. The New Jersey Devils were tied to free agent defensemen Brett Pesce and Brenden Dillon. That, mixed with other solid blueliners like Dougie Hamilton and Luke Hughes, Marino was available for other teams to get. Utah made sure they came away with their guy, as they traded two second-round picks (one in 2024 and the other in 2025) for Marino and a 2024 fifth-round pick.

Marino will be playing on his third NHL team this fall. He started out on the defense for the Penguins before he was dealt to New Jersey for fellow defender Ty Smith. With the Devils, Marino accrued the following numbers:

• 2022-23: four goals and 14 assists for 18 points in 64 games
• 2023-24: four goals and 21 assists for 25 points in 75 games

Now, Marino has the chance for more responsibility on his shoulders. He can become one of Utah’s best defenders and grow as a leader on the backend. He is 27 years old as well, so he is hitting his prime or about to do so, which is a perfect situation for the new expansion club.

Armstrong Getting Cole

Another veteran to provide some help in the defense core is Ian Cole. Like Sergachev, Cole has also won the Stanley Cup twice, which he did while a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017. While he is not as known for his offense, he is a nice depth veteran addition. He played last season for the Vancouver Canucks. In 78 regular season contests, he accrued two goals and nine assists for 11 points. He has also suited up for the St. Louis Blues, Columbus Blue Jackets, Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild, Carolina Hurricanes, and Tampa Bay Lightning. In his career so far, Cole has produced the following numbers offensively:

• 2010-11 (Blues): one goal and three assists for four points in 26 games
• 2011-12 (Blues): one goal and five assists for six points in 26 games
• 2012-13 (Blues): one assist in 15 games
• 2013-14 (Blues): three goals and eight assists for 11 points in 46 games
• 2014-15 (Blues): four goals and five assists for nine points in 54 games
• 2014-15 (Penguins): one goal and seven assists for eight points in 20 games
• 2015-16 (Penguins): 12 assists in 70 games
• 2016-17 (Penguins): five goals and 21 assists for 26 points in 81 games
• 2017-18 (Penguins): three goals and 10 assists for 13 points in 47 games
• 2017-18 (Blue Jackets): two goals and five assists for seven points in 20 games
• 2018-19 (Avalanche): two goals and 13 assists for 15 points in 71 games
• 2019-20 (Avalanche): four goals and 22 assists for 26 points in 65 games
• 2020-21 (Avalanche): zero points in two games
• 2020-21 (Wild): one goal and seven assists for eight points in 52 games
• 2021-22 (Hurricanes): two goals and 17 assists for 19 points in 75 games
• 2022-23 (Lightning): three goals and 14 assists for 17 points in 78 games
• 2023-24 (Canucks): two goals and nine assists for 11 points in 78 games

Cole being added into the mix along with Marino and Sergachev provide stability on defense that will be beneficial for the other blueliners and the whole rest of the team.

Starting in Utah on a Good Note

There are going to be a lot of eyes on Utah’s first NHL season, and GM Armstrong did what he could to add skill this offseason to improve their results and potentially get into a postseason spot. There is a lot of work that will need to be accomplished on the ice with the talent, but Armstrong did a stellar job putting them in position to achieve their goals. On the blueline, guys like Sergachev, Marino, and Cole will provide a boost for others like Durzi and Valimaki. This bolstered blue line will help the forward group as well as the goalies in Connor Ingram and Karel Vejmelka. How much improvement occurs in the win column will be determined starting in October.