There was symbolism in Utah Hockey Club's only trade before the NHL trade deadline on Friday.
By dealing the final season-plus of Shea Weber's contract to the Chicago Blackhawks (along with forward Aku Räty and the rights to defenseman Victor Söderström for a 2026 fifth-round pick), Utah officially emerged from an era that defined the first five seasons of Bill Armstrong's tenure as GM.
No longer is the franchise interested in acquiring other team's troublesome contracts in exchange for draft capital and prospects. When the season ends, the only money on Utah's books being paid to a player no longer with the team will be Oliver Ekman-Larsson's retained salary/buyout money until 2031.
Armstrong got Dylan Guenther out of that Ekman-Larsson trade so nobody is complaining.
"We're moving into a different era where we need flexibility with our current cap space," Armstrong said Friday afternoon. "We're getting into that next part of our journey where we're ready to challenge for the playoffs."
Before the trade deadline arrived, Armstrong said the current cast of Utah players had earned the right to stay together and battle for a playoff spot. He was 100-percent true to his word this week, and he handed out four contract extensions to boot, with the blessing of the Smith ownership group. Utah re-signed forward Alex Kerfoot to a one-year extension; defenseman Ian Cole to a one-year extension; defenseman Olli Määttä to a three-year extension; and goaltender Karel Vejmelka to a five-year extension.
"We signed guys who all made that choice that they wanted to be back in Utah," Armstrong said. "They believe in the process, they believe in what's going on here, and they believe in our long-term vision of trying to build a championship organization. They all want to be a part of it so in my mind, I think we took some big steps at the deadline."
In re-signing Määttä and Cole, Armstrong brought back two players who have added a heavy dose of professionalism and veteran savvy.
"Ian's won two Stanley Cups so we're very fortunate to have a leader with that kind of experience," Armstrong said. "What I like about Ian's game is that he provides a hardness for us whether it's blocking a shot or going through a player with a big hit. He's just got that gamer mentality where he's leading by example all the time.
"Olli has played so many minutes for us in such key situations. He gave a level of comfort to our group like, 'Hey, listen, we're not rolling over here because of all our injuries. We're staying in it.' He's a pro's pro."
In bringing back Kerfoot, Utah kept a player whose versatility and intelligence have been on display ever since he arrived.
"He's like the Swiss Army knife of the team," Armstrong said. "He can play left wing, center, right wing — first line to fourth line. That helps so much during the course of the year because there's so many injuries in the NHL. You need a player that has that versatility. He's just a total team player.and a very good leader. He doesn't say a lot, but when he does say stuff, you listen."
Vejmelka may be the best story of them all — a goalie who looked like his NHL opportunity had passed, but has now earned a long-term extension.
"He's a gentleman about it, too, and a pro about it," Armstrong said. "He's got this quiet demeanor where he lets his play do the talking. We fell in love with Veggie because of who he is."
The 2025 NHL trade deadline saw a flurry of major trades by the top teams in the league.
The Dallas Stars acquired right wing Mikko Rantanen from the Carolina Hurricanes and then signed him to an eight-year contract extension. The defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers acquired left wing Brad Marchand from the Boston Bruins and defenseman Seth Jones from the Chicago Blackhawks. The Colorado Avalanche acquired center Brock Nelson from the New York Islanders and center Charlie Coyle from the Bruins. The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired center Scott Laughton from the Philadelphia Flyers. The Winnipeg Jets acquired forward Brandon Tanev from the Seattle Kraken. And the Tampa Bay Lightning acquired center Yanni Gourde and forward Oliver Bjorkstrand from the Kraken.
Armstrong admitted that it was tempting to add to Utah's stable of players with the team sitting three points out of a playoff spot when the deadline arrived — the first time Armstrong has been in the playoff hunt this late in the season as a GM.
"We have to go through a grueling process in that room of trying to become better every single day," Armstrong said. "But it's really heightened at the deadline. It's in front of your face and you have to go down the rabbit hole of asking: 'Does that make us better now? If 19 games go by, did we just waste all our assets to just play for 19 games?'
"I always remember the one trade we did in St. Louis for [defenseman] Jay Bouwmeester. We gave up a first-round pick to get him, but he was with us for such a long time after that, and he helped us win a championship. There's a value to also being able to re-sign the player and bring him in and make him a part of your team for a number of years."
Armstrong said that Utah was interested in some of the big names that moved, but the team's trajectory is not the same as the contenders who made big moves.
"Some of those big-name guys opted for a chance to win it this year," he said. "There's a little bit of a timeline for them, and we're not in that window yet."
There is an upside to Utah's patient approach, however.
"We've always been able to stick to our plan during this rebuild process," he said. "We signed some players. We did some housekeeping today.
"I know everybody expects this flurry of moves, but we're not there yet. You've got to trust the process. We've got the foundation built and we're moving in the right direction. It's onward and upward from here."
