Last week the Utah Hockey Club, the team formerly known as the Arizona Coyotes, finally got a new name — the Utah Mammoth. The moniker was a fan choice, reportedly receiving over 850,000 votes from the Utah hockey faithful.
The next step is to put a winning club on the ice and according to what the NHL experts are saying, the Mammoth plan to be highly aggressive in the coming offseason, making moves to get back into playoff contention right away.
Landing a new, experienced goaltender is near the top of their priority list. The Mammoth hold a top goalie prospect in 2023 second-round pick, six-foot-seven, 20-year-old Michael Hrabal. But the current U.Mass-Amherst goalie is in just his second year of NCAA hockey and if he plays all four years, could become a free agent and sign with any team.
According to an analysis by Belle Fraser of the Salt Lake Tribune, Hrabal could be three years away from becoming a solid NHL goalie.
Vezina Trophy Winner May Be In Line For Mammoth Move
If the Mammoth want an upgrade from Karel Vejmelka, who played 58 games last season with just a .908 save percentage — and that was a career high — they will need to make a deal. They amazingly snared the fourth pick in the draft thanks to an incredible stroke of luck in the NHL lottery. But they appear unlikely to use that selection on a goaltender.
Utah has a deep pool of prospects as well as Vejmelka who could be dealt away to bring in a front-like goalie. One such candidate: Linus Ullmark of the Ottawa Senators.
Why would the Senators, who placed fourth in the Atlantic Division only to be knocked out in the first round of the playoffs by the Toronto Maple Leafs, part with the 31-year-old, 10-year veteran Ullmark, after just acquiring him from the Boston Bruins before the season and quickly inking him to a four-year, 33-million contract extension?
The reason would be largely financial. Currently, the Senators have cap space of just $296,000. That number could expand to a roomier $17 million in the offseason, though Ottawa would still need to sign 10 players, meaning the cap crunch is likely to continue if they plan to retain much of their current roster.
Ullmark’s new contract comes with an annual cap hit of $8.25 million — a number that Utah with a projected $22 million is space should be able to absorb. Throwing Vejmelka into the deal if the Senators accept him as a stopgap replacement for Ullmark would take his $4.75 million off the Mammoth books while also offering $3.5 million in relief for Ottawa.
Utah Holds Draft Assets to Package in Trade
While Utah may ultimately deal its No. 4 overall pick, that move would probably be designed to bring in multiple new draft picks. But the Mammoth also hold picks No. 46 and No. 78, which would make attractive chips in a trade package for Ullmark.
Ullmark is a two-time All-Star and 2023 Vezina Trophy winner for top goaltender in what was his second season with the Bruins. He also shared the Jennings Trophy — for goaltenders who play at least 25 games with the team that allows the fewest goals — with his then-Bruins teammate Jeremy Swayman that year.
In their debut season, the Hockey Club accrued just 89 points to place sixth in the NHL Central Division. But according to NHL analyst Cameron Mau of Stadium Rant, the renamed club “will be one of the most exciting young and upcoming teams to watch. … Look out for Utah in May.”
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