Kevin Stenlund Emerging as Key Piece in Utah’s Inaugural Season

In March, the right-handed shooter has potted three goals and added two assists for five points. Furthermore, he holds a plus-3 rating this month compared to his minus-11 rating overall this season. In the team’s last two games, Stenlund has three points, and on March 6, he registered the game-winning goal in Utah’s 4-2 win in Detroit against the Red Wings.

Stenlund’s Defensive Play Still His Claim to Fame

The 6-foot-5, 215-pounder ranks second among Utah forwards with 52 blocked shots this season. (It’s worth noting that the one forward and three defensemen above him receive more ATOI.) Stenlund also centers the team’s top penalty-killing unit with forward Alexander Kerfoot.

“It makes such a huge difference the way he plays defensively,” Tourigny said of Stenlund. “His play on the (penalty kill) speaks for itself but more than that it’s big faceoffs, it’s the way he plays in our zone and key moments of the game where you either have to win the draw or need a guy who is playing really well down low — he does all of the above.” (from ‘Utah Hockey Club had a bad game — and hopes to rely on veteran leaders to turn it around,’ The Salt Lake Tribune, March 14, 2025).

Therefore, it should be no surprise that the Columbus Blue Jackets’ 2015 second-round pick starts 28.6% of his shifts in the defensive zone (the highest percentage on Utah.)

Stenlund, the Ultimate Bottom-Six Playoff Player

If Utah does enough in its playoff push, Stenlund will bring a two-way game with size and speed to their postseason run. He ranks in the 93rd percentile for average speed among NHL forwards at 64.22 mph and in the Panthers’ 24-game path to lifting Lord Stanley’s Mug, he dished out 49 hits.

“He really built his game over the course of the year,” Florida head coach Paul Maurice said of Stenlund. “From style of play to finding that role that’s valued in the room, we get into the playoffs last year and he’s just as important as everybody else because he has such an important role for us. He found his place, he found his way, and he was a great player for us.”

Utah currently sits two points out of the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference behind the Calgary Flames, St. Louis Blues and Vancouver Canucks (who Utah beat in its latest game). Tourigny’s team will need to make the most of its three-game and five-game homestands to close out the regular season.

“I want to be a leader. Obviously play good defensively and then always want to create offense and score goals. Still working on that, get better,” Stenlund said. “Most importantly, it’s being consistent in the D-zone and trying to help the team that way.”

Nonetheless, Stenlund has — and potentially will be a key piece — for Utah in the coming months.