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Mammoth revealed, expectations rise in Utah’s second season: Off-Season Recap
Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/utah-mammoth-off-season-recap-expectations-rise
This is Off-Season Recap, a summer series where we’ll look at what the other 15 teams in the Western Conference have done ahead of the 2025-26 NHL season. So far in the series, we’ve looked at every Pacific Division team, and we’re now covering the Central Division. In this article, we’ll look at what the Utah Mammoth have been up to.
The Utah Mammoth’s 2024-25 Season in a Nutshell
From the ashes of the Arizona Coyotes rose the Utah Mammoth. Last season, the newest National Hockey League franchise played its first year as the Utah Hockey Club.
Although the Coyotes were largely mediocre for much of the previous decade, the franchise arrived with a few intriguing young talents. They were not a playoff team, but they were battling for a wild-card spot late in the season.
In the end, Utah finished 38-31-13, seven points out of a wild-card spot with three teams to leap. Their first season in Salt Lake City was a success, finishing 12 points better than their final year in Phoenix while also boasting sold-out crowds during all of their home games.
One month after the regular season ended, Utah unveiled its new identity, the Mammoth. The name emerged from a 13-month, fan-driven process that drew more than 850,000 votes and nods to the Ice Age giants that once roamed the state.
Now, following a no-expectations campaign playing as a generic Hockey Club, the Mammoth will head into 2025-26 looking to establish themselves as a playoff team in the Western Conference.
A closer look at our future jerseys.#TusksUp pic.twitter.com/pQEtLpidMn
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) May 7, 2025
Who will lead the Mammoth into the post-season?
Last season, only a handful of Utah skaters over 30 played 20 or more games: Alex Kerfoot, Olli Määttä, Liam O’Brien, Nick Bjugstad, and Ian Cole. This is to say, the Mammoth have a young core.
Clayton Keller, 27, led the team in goals and points with 30 and 90. Logan Cooley, 20, was second in points with 25 goals and 65 points. Dylan Guenther’s 27 goals were second most on the team, and Nick Schmaltz added 20 goals and 63 points.
Barrett Hayton chipped in 20 goals and 46 points, while Jack McBain had 13 goals and 28 points. The Mammoth also got meaningful production from Kerfoot and Kevin Stenlund. On defence, Mikhail Sergachev posted 15 goals and 53 points. Former Oilers draftee John Marino had 1 goal and 14 points in 35 games, and Sean Durzi, who also missed significant time, recorded 4 goals and 11 points in 30.
Between the pipes, 29-year-old Karel Vejmelka played 58 games with a .904 save percentage and a 2.58 goals-against average. So what did the Mammoth do over the summer?
Off-Season Transactions
Utah made one of the summer’s biggest swings, trading Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan to the Buffalo Sabres for J. J. Peterka. Kesselring had 7 goals and 29 points in 82 games last season, while Doan produced 7 goals and 19 points in 51.
Peterka is worth the cost. The 23-year-old German winger set career highs with 27 goals and 68 points in 77 games. It is not hard to imagine him pushing 35 goals and 90 points in the near future.
Another notable move saw Utah trade Matias Maccelli to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a pick. They cleared his $3.425 million cap hit. Maccelli had 17 goals and 57 points in 2023-24, then dropped to 8 goals and 18 points in 55 games in 2024-25.
In free agency, the Mammoth added on value deals. They signed defenceman Nate Schmidt to a three-year contract, and agreed to a three-year deal with Brandon Tanev. In goal, they brought in Vítek Vaněček to back up Vejmelka. Vaněček most recently split time between San Jose and Florida, and he posted a .911 save percentage with a 2.45 goals-against average in 52 games for New Jersey in 2022-23.
In addition to moving Kesselring and Doan, Utah also lost Bjugstad, who signed with St. Louis. For context, Arizona previously traded Bjugstad to Edmonton, with Arizona receiving Michael Kesselring and a pick.
Feb 27, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Buffalo Sabres right wing JJ Peterka (77) celebrates his goal against the Carolina Hurricanes during the third period at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
What’s next for the Mammoth?
Utah’s young core should keep improving. Top-15 Russian draftees Dmitry Simashev and Daniil But could be ready as soon as next season. Both played for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, alongside Oilers draftee Maksim Berezkin.
Utah also held top-six picks in the past two drafts, selecting Tij Iginla in 2024 and Caleb Desnoyers in 2025. Neither is likely to play a significant number of NHL games in 2025-26, but both reinforce the pipeline.
With a young core and a solid prospect base, the Mammoth already have a roster that can push for a wild-card spot, as we saw last season. They could also be active ahead of the 2026 trade deadline, using prospects to acquire a true game-changer.
Expect the Mammoth to battle for a wild-card berth in 2025-26. This team looks like it could be a playoff contender for years to come.
Other Off-Season Recaps:
- Offer sheet additions have helped lift the Blues
- Extension for Kaprizov remains top priority for Wild
- Avalanche haunted by Rantanen as Game 7 struggles continue
- Stars keep Stanley Cup window open despite cap squeeze
- Jets hoping Jonathan Toews can dial back the clock
- Sharks are looking to take a step forward in their rebuild
- Pressure is on young talent to lead Kraken out of mediocrity
- Ducks appear poised to end playoff drought
- Golden Knights dealt major blow despite adding top free agent
- Ken Holland takes old-school approach with desperate Kings
- Canucks banking on rebounds from core players
- Flames had a quiet summer after narrowly missing playoffs
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Oilersnation, FlamesNation, and Blue Jays Nation. Follow her on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
Source: https://oilersnation.com/news/utah-mammoth-off-season-recap-expectations-rise