The Utah Mammoth were in a playoff race when we looked at the Central Division in March. They succeeded in their bid for the postseason with a wildcard berth and gave the Vegas Golden Knights a challenge in the first round. Their second season in Utah was another step forward for a club that is clearly benefiting from an ownership change.
In the March Central Division Notebook, we noted the Mammoth were on the riser and that they needed to stay patient to move into a true contender status. Nothing has changed there with their postseason appearance.
In their bid to become relevant quickly after the move to Utah, the Mammoth have made some trades that have removed a few pieces from the contention cohort. Not enough that it’s a problem yet, but it’ a trend to keep an eye on this summer. The trade that sent Josh Doan and Michael Kesselring to Buffalo for JJ Peterka is looking like a poor one for Utah a year later. One of the team building tenets is Mistakes Happen. That’s not to say that Peterka can’t be a good piece for Utah, but it sure looks like a long term downgrade from Doan at this juncture. It’s time to learn from last year’s stumble and avoid doing it again.
The Mammoth should have more help coming from their pipeline to round out their contention cohort. Their last four drafts all had a lot of picks, including some high ones. Tig Iginla (2024 – 6OA) and Caleb Desnoyers (2025 – 4OA) haven’t hit the NHL yet and should we welcome additions to a contention core that this already starting to drive the Mammoth’s success.
The biggest challenge facing the Mammoth over the next few seasons may be their cap sheet. They’ve increased spending significantly with their newfound desire to win after the move to Utah and it’s starting to show. They have a sizable group under contract long term, including a mix of the contention cohort and veterans. There are also quite a few players under contract for two more seasons. With the talent that appears to be be coming out of the pipeline, the Mammoth will have to make sure they have both roster space and cap space to manage that group.
