Utah Hockey Club’s leading scorer is out ‘indefinitely’ with an injury

Dylan Guenther is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury, Utah Hockey Club announced Friday morning.

The 21-year-old forward is third on the team in points with 34 (16 goals, 18 assists) and leads the group in scoring. Guenther was skating on the second line with Logan Cooley and Jack McBain before the injury. He was also on the first power play unit and had a team-high seven goals on the man advantage.

Head coach André Tourigny said the injury happened in Wednesday’s game against the Florida Panthers at Delta Center when Aleksander Barkov collided with Guenther. In terms of Guenther’s timeline, Tourigny said the forward will return before the end of the regular season.

“It’s long but not that long. It’s too long, but not that long,” Tourigny said. “He will be in good hands. Mentally is the toughest part. He’s here this morning starting his rehab and stuff. Just it is what it is.”

Guenther signed an eight-year, $57.14 million contract extension with Utah in September, cementing the young winger as a core piece of the organization moving. Now, it is up to his teammates to fill the hole.

Josh Doan was recalled from the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners in Guenther’s absence. The 22-year-old started the season in Utah and logged two points (one goal, one assist) through nine games before going to Tucson. Since being with the Roadrunners, Doan has 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) through 25 games.

Doan was on a bus to San Diego with Tucson when he got the call from the team and arrived in Utah around 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. The last time Doan played a game at Delta Center was Oct. 24.

“I think a lot has changed. You come out of it with a different perspective. You go down and you work on things that they talked to you about and you try to grow your game in a better way,” Doan said.

While in the AHL, Doan said focused on being more comfortable with the puck, making smart plays, utilizing his speed and being physical in front of the net — a spot Utah looks to put him in, too.

During Friday’s morning skate, Doan practiced on the first power play unit and skated on the second line with Matias Maccelli and Barrett Hayton. Cooley moved to center the first line between Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz while McBain went to the fourth line with Alex Kerfoot and Kevin Stenlund. The third line of Liam O’Brien, Nick Bjugstad and Lawson Crouse remained the same.

“I want to see him play with a lot of pace. I want to see him get on the forecheck, get some touches inside. He has really quick hands and makes quick decisions with the puck,” Tourigny said of Doan. “I’m really happy to have him back. … He will have a great opportunity with us because we believe in him and we like him.”

Tourigny is not the only one happy to see Doan in Utah — Michael Kesselring finally got his roommate back. The defenseman lived with Doan at the beginning of the season but has had a spare room for the past few months.

“It was nice to have some company,” Kesselring said. “Just said he better be good [today]. But seriously, I don’t want to lose him again. I know he’s playing well down there so hopefully he can carry it over.”

Doan echoed the sentiment.

“It’s always nice being back with Kess,” he said. “We’ve been pretty close the last couple years. Getting to see him again and hang out and have dinner with him last night was nice.”

With Guenther sidelined for the foreseeable future, Doan has the space to prove himself as a nightly, impactful NHL player. For now, though, Doan is taking it one game at a time.

“Obviously there’s always nerves when you play again in the NHL,” Doan said. “So just trusting your game and letting the first couple of shifts take care of themselves.”