Spring Cleaning – Utah Mammoth

The Utah Mammoth took a major step forward during the 2025-26 season, qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in only their second year in Salt Lake City. Led by Clayton Keller and an exciting young core, Utah earned the first Wild Card position in the Western Conference before falling to the Vegas Golden Knights in six games. Neil Smith and Vic Morren examine the franchise’s progress, its impressive depth, the areas that still need improvement, and why Utah could soon challenge for a top-three position in its division.

IN THIS EPISODE:

[00:00:00] The Mammoth qualify for the playoffs as the Western Conference’s first Wild Card team. It marks the first postseason appearance for the Arizona-Utah franchise since the 2020 bubble and its first traditional playoff berth since 2012.

[00:00:25] Utah gives a strong account of itself in the opening round before losing to the Vegas Golden Knights in six games. Neil sees the Mammoth as a young, exciting team that has made meaningful progress.

[00:00:45] Captain Clayton Keller leads a talented young foundation. After entering the season expected to challenge for a Wild Card berth, Utah does more than simply knock on the door and successfully earns a playoff position.

[00:01:00] Vic looks back at the franchise’s final season in Arizona, when the team remained competitive through roughly 45 games before news of the relocation contributed to an 0-12-2 collapse.

[00:01:25] The move to Salt Lake City provides stability, but Utah remains inconsistent at home. The Mammoth post a .537 winning percentage at the Delta Center, tied for 22nd in the NHL.

[00:01:50] Keller is joined by Dylan Guenther, Nick Schmaltz, and Logan Cooley as the centerpiece of the offense. Utah also strengthens the lineup by acquiring J.J. Peterka from the Buffalo Sabres.

[00:02:10] The defense features Mikhail Sergachev, Ian Cole, John Marino, and Sean Durzi. Utah also signs Nate Schmidt following his Stanley Cup-winning season with the Florida Panthers.

[00:02:30] Karel Vejmelka provides dependable goaltending, but Neil believes the Mammoth need another strong option in net with Vitek Vanecek approaching unrestricted free agency.

[00:02:50] Statistically, Utah improves by only three standings points from the previous season. However, its goal differential jumps from minus-10 to plus-28, showing a much stronger overall team.

[00:03:15] The Mammoth improve from 17th to 12th in goals against, although their goals-against average and save percentage remain similar. Their special teams rankings also decline despite the playoff qualification.

[00:03:35] Utah makes an important late-season acquisition by adding defenseman MacKenzie Weegar from the Calgary Flames, further strengthening an already capable blue line.

[00:03:55] Much of Utah’s improvement comes from deeper in the lineup. Lawson Crouse matches a career high with 24 goals and finishes with a career-best plus-20 rating.

[00:04:15] Michael Carcone scores 16 goals and records a career-high 31 points. Kailer Yamamoto becomes increasingly important late in the year and contributes five points in the playoff series against Vegas.

[00:04:35] Kevin Stenlund, Alex Kerfoot, Jack McBain, and Brandon Tanev give André Tourigny four dependable forward lines. That depth allows Utah to remain competitive even when its stars are not producing.

[00:04:55] Neil cautions that the Western Conference was weaker than the East, making the playoff path somewhat easier. Utah will need further improvement to guarantee another postseason appearance.

[00:05:15] Compared with Nashville, Los Angeles, San Jose, Anaheim, St. Louis, and Winnipeg, Utah appears to maintain a small but consistent edge throughout the season.

[00:05:35] The Mammoth avoid the extended winning and losing streaks that define many other teams. Their consistency from October through April becomes one of their greatest strengths.

[00:05:55] General Manager Bill Armstrong enters the 2026 NHL Draft with seven selections, including two third-round picks and two fifth-round picks.

[00:06:15] Utah does not own a second-round pick after including it in the MacKenzie Weegar trade. The organization also lacks a sixth-round selection following a previous pick swap with Nashville.

[00:06:35] The Mammoth project to have approximately $5.5 million in cap space before the July 1 reset. Neil believes Salt Lake City has also become a more attractive destination for NHL players.

[00:06:55] Unrestricted free agents include Alex Kerfoot, Kevin Stenlund, Kevin Rooney, Kailer Yamamoto, Ian Cole, Nick DeSimone, and Vitek Vanecek. Barrett Hayton is the team’s lone restricted free agent.

[00:07:15] Neil identifies Kerfoot as the unrestricted free agent Utah should prioritize retaining. Armstrong must then determine how to replace any veterans who leave during the offseason.

[00:07:35] Compared with many teams featured in Spring Cleaning, Utah does not require a major overhaul. The roster already has a strong foundation and primarily needs additional depth and goaltending support.

[00:07:55] Neil believes the Mammoth remain a few years away from becoming a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. However, their playoff experience and young core could allow them to challenge for a top-three position in the division as soon as next season.