The Utah Mammoth are developing — as an organization, as a team, as a group of mostly young players. Their inaugural season laid groundwork. The Mammoth (38-31-13) became part of the sports fabric in …
The Utah Mammoth are developing — as an organization, as a team, as a group of mostly young players.
Their inaugural season laid groundwork. The Mammoth (38-31-13) became part of the sports fabric in Utah but finished sixth in the Central Division.
This season, that won’t be considered enough.
“We’ve got bigger aspirations of getting in (the Stanley Cup Playoffs),” general manager Bill Armstrong said, “and you’re going to see that right away.”
They already have some of the right pieces.
Clayton Keller, 27, led Utah with 90 points (30 goals, 60 assists) last season. Logan Cooley, 21, had 65 points (25 goals, 40 assists) in his second season. Dylan Guenther, 22, was fourth with 60 points (27 goals, 33 assists), behind 29-year-old forward Nick Schmaltz (63 points; 20 goals, 43 assists).
“I’m super excited about our group,” said Keller, the Mammoth captain. “So confident in our guys, our prospects. We just have a great mold and mix of guys that all love being around each other. Everyone’s like a family on our team.”
But Utah averaged 2.93 goals last season, tied with the New Jersey Devils for 20th in the League.
“Everything can always be better,” president of hockey operations Chris Armstrong said. “How can we be 10 percent better in every area? How can everybody, as individuals, get 10 percent better in this offseason?”
Bringing in forward JJ Peterka might help. The 23-year-old, who had an NHL career-high 68 points (27 goals, 41 assists) last season, was acquired in a trade from the Buffalo Sabres on June 26 and signed a five-year, $38.5 million contract.
“If you look at his points last year, he’s roughly around what Cooley was,” Bill Armstrong said. “So, he’s got an opportunity to come in and have an impact on our top two lines. I think it’s something that he can grow into.”
Defenseman Nate Schmidt and forward Brandon Tanev could add a veteran presence. Schmidt signed a three-year, $10.5 million contract on July 1 after winning the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers. Tanev agreed to a three-year, $7.5 million contract the same day. Schmidt, 34, and Tanev, 33, would only be younger than defenseman Ian Cole, 36, on the Utah roster.
Source: Utah News