Utah Hockey Membership star winger Dylan Guenther will probably be out indefinitely with a lower-body harm, per a crew announcement. Ahead Josh Doan was recalled from AHL Tucson in a corresponding transaction, the crew mentioned.
Guenther, 21, didn’t miss a shift in Utah’s final look, a 4-1 loss to the Panthers on Wednesday. Regardless of the harm, it now appears to maintain him on the shelf for a number of weeks as Utah appears to make up floor within the Western Convention wild-card race.
Via their first 40 video games in Salt Lake Metropolis, Guenther is Utah’s main goal-scorer with 16. He’s added 18 assists for 34 factors, on tempo for a career-high 70 over a full season and inserting third on the crew in total scoring.
Up to now, he’s had the 12 months Utah hoped for after inking him to an eight-year, $57.14M extension in the beginning of coaching camp. It was considered as a chance by most on the time with Guenther solely having 50 factors in 78 profession NHL video games beneath his belt with the Coyotes, who made him the ninth total number of the 2021 draft, however locking him in early to keep away from paying extra for his providers afterward seems to be a prudent transfer by normal supervisor Bill Armstrong thus far.
Guenther’s absence will probably be felt most on the ability play, the place he leads the crew in targets with seven. He additionally leads Utah in whole shot makes an attempt (237) and has averaged 16:16 per recreation, fourth amongst forwards behind captain Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz and fellow younger star Logan Cooley.
Utah has been an above-average crew by most metrics – controlling 53% of shot makes an attempt and 52.5% of scoring possibilities at 5-on-5 whereas additionally boasting robust particular groups percentages. Puzzlingly, truly getting the puck within the internet has been their most urgent challenge. Their 2.85 targets per recreation ranks twenty third within the league, and shedding Guenther for an prolonged spell definitely received’t do something to assist that.
Up comes Doan, who will presumably substitute Guenther in his second-line spot alongside Cooley and Jack McBain. The 22-year-old Arizona native made Utah’s opening evening roster, posting a objective and an help in 9 video games earlier than being returned to Tucson.
He’ll get a extra prolonged look now, throughout which Utah hopes he’ll produce at a fee nearer to the 9 factors in 11 video games he put up down the stretch final 12 months with the Coyotes. The 2021 second-rounder has regarded good in Tucson, the place he ranks fourth in scoring with 21 factors (8 G, 13 A) in 25 video games.
Utah had an open spot on the energetic roster, so that they don’t want to position Guenther on injured reserve to recall Doan. It’s now full, although, and he’ll seemingly be the primary one to land on IR in the event that they want one other roster spot.
