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Günther’s offense is “the complete package” for the Utah Hockey Club

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Günther’s offense is “the complete package” for the Utah Hockey Club

SALT LAKE CITY – Following his sizable eight-year contract extension with the Utah Hockey Club last week, forward Dylan Guenther has been busy showcasing his skills throughout the preseason. With two appearances in the first four games, Günther has already lit the lamp three times and may be a glimpse of what's to come.

Dylan Guenther's journey with the Utah Hockey Club

Guenther is a 21-year-old right winger from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Guenther, who was drafted No. 9 overall by the Arizona Coyotes in 2021, is one of the organization's brightest young stars and will be an important building block in the team's continued development.

After several years of development in the WHL and AHL with impressive offensive production, everything came together for the young forward last season when he recorded 18 goals and 17 assists in 45 appearances for the Coyotes.

Full Story: Meet the Utah Hockey Club: Who is Dylan Guenther?

With that obviously high ceiling, the Utah Hockey Club locked up Guenther for nearly the next decade, which is already proving to be a great investment.

“Dylan is elite in every way, on and off the ice,” said Utah general manager Bill Armstrong. “He is a young, highly skilled forward with a shot that is developing into one of the best in the NHL. He is also a first-class human being with a strong desire to be great. We look forward to having Dylan as a core player in this organization for years to come.”

Günther shined for UHC in the preseason

In his two appearances so far, Günther has fully earned the new contract because he not only scored three goals, but was also a facilitator and a constant threat in the offensive zone.

See also: The hat trick: Dylan Guenther and Clayton Keller bury Avalanche with dominant UHC win

In addition to his blistering shot that has caught the attention of players across the league, Guenther is also remarkably talented at getting into dangerous positions, moving without the puck, attracting and facilitating defenders.

According to Utah forward and four-time All-Star Clayton Keller, Guenther is a teammate he's always looking for on offense.

“He can definitely shoot and he’s super easy to play with. So he's a guy I'm always looking for. He knows how to get open and he has a good shot too,” Keller told KSL Sports.

As Keller said, Günther can certainly shoot the puck, which was already on display in the preseason. As he proved against the Colorado Avalanche, he can absolutely score at the net but rarely loses accuracy, even on the slap shot.

With such a brilliant yet precise shot, Keller has rarely seen anything comparable.

“I haven’t seen many guys shoot the puck like he does. So effortless and super easy. He just shoots so hard and is very precise. So it’s one of the best I’ve ever seen.”

In addition to his two goals on Sunday night, Günther Keller also assisted on a beautifully crafted cross-ice pass after drawing several defenders.

“He’s good everywhere. His shot is special and he can also play with the puck. He has the full package and is a super talented player,” added Keller.

Dylan Guenther wants to “deliver” for the Utah Hockey Club.

With such dynamic and versatile shooting ability, Günther recognizes what he can do for the club, but is not concerned with setting specific personal standards. Rather, he simply wants to continue to improve and perform for the team in goal situations.

“I'm still a young man… so I'm just trying to get better every day. Whether it’s practice or a game, I can critique my game and do what I can the next day to improve in all areas of the ice,” Guenther told KSL Sports.

“As a shooter, I just try to find the open ice wherever it is… and I try to deliver most of the time,” he added.

While he received a lot of praise for his shooting before he even played a full 82-game season, Guenther is determined to get better and has paid close attention to some of the league's top scorers like Auston Matthews and David Pastrnak.

According to Günther, it's all about being a diverse goalscorer.

“There are a lot of people,” said Günther. “The guys that are kind of driving the bus now, like Matthews and Pastrnak. Watch them and see how they score. I think the thing about scoring goals is that you have to diversify and be able to score anywhere on the ice. So I just try to keep working on scoring from all areas, getting in a little bit more and scoring a few big goals too.”

As the preseason continues and eventually transitions into the regular season, fans shouldn't be surprised to see Günther light the lamp with a high rate of success. With a full season under his belt for the first time in his young career, Guenther should have a breakout year and provide a glimpse of what's to come in Salt Lake City over the next decade.

Utah Hockey Club schedule

The Utah Hockey Club will continue its preseason preparation against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday evening at the SAP Center. The game can be viewed on SEG+. Fans can also tune in live via the KSL Sports APP or on 97.5 and 1280 The Zone. Click here for the full schedule.

Cole Bagley is the Utah Hockey Club Insider for KSL Sports. Stay updated here on X. You can hear Cole break down the team on KSL Sports Zone and KSL 5 TV.

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