Utah HC signs Ian Cole, Kevin Stenlund, Kevin Connauton

The new kids on the block have made a few signings on a busy open to NHL free agency.

On Monday, the Utah Hockey Club signed defensemen Ian Cole and Kevin Connauton, as well as forward Kevin Stenlund.

Cole is arguably the biggest of the trio. The 35-year-old signed a one-year contract, with a cap hit of $3.1 million for the 2024-25 season.

Cole has been on the move in recent years. In joining Utah, it will be the sixth team the Ann Arbor native has been a part of in five seasons. He has been on one-year deals since signing with the Carolina Hurricanes in July 2021. Cole was with the Vancouver Canucks this past season with a $3 million cap hit, making this contract the third straight deal where he has a $3 million AAV.

Cole only missed four games during the 2023-24 season, scoring two goals and 11 assists with a plus/minus of +10, averaging 18:41 of ice time. He played all 13 playoff games wth Vancouver, registering two assists and a -3 rating, as the Canucks made it to the second round, ultimately being eliminated by the eventual Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers.

Cole has made stops with the St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins, Columbus Blue Jackets, Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild and Tampa Bay Lightning. In 826 games, he has scored 34 goals and 159 assists, including 31 points in 129 playoff games.

Stenlund is heading to Salt Lake City for two years, with a $2 million AAV through the 2025-26 season. It is a $1 million pay bump from what he made this past season.

Stenlund is just days removed from celebrating winning the Stanely Cup with the Florida Panthers. The Stockholm native signed with the team on July 1, 2023 after one season with the Winnipeg Jets. With Florida, Stenlund had the best offensive season of his career. In a career-high 81 games, he scored 11 goals and 15 points. He ended up being a helpful depth player in the postseason for the Cats, playing in all 24 games as the team defeated the Edmonton Oilers to win the franchise’s first Stanley Cup.

Across six seasons and 206 NHL games, Stenlund has scored 28 goals and 16 assists, including three points in 31 playoff games.

Connauton also signed a two-year contract, with his two-way deal carrying a $775,000 AAV through the 2025-26 campaign.

The veteran will be entering his 15th season of pro hockey, and returning to a familiar team. Connauton spent over three seasons with the Arizona Coyotes from 2016 to 2019, playing 185 games with the Coyotes, also spending time with the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL. He has played with the Dallas Stars, Columbus Blue Jackets, Colorado Avalanche, Panthers and Philadelphia Flyers.

He has spent the entirety of the past two seasons in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and Ontario Reign. In 360 NHL games, Connauton has scored 28 goals and 52 assists, and has notched 45 goals and 106 assists in 383 AHL games.