The Utah Mammoth finished seven points out of a wild card spot last season, but have retooled with a new focus on the playoffs. As one of the surprising teams last season to just miss the playoffs, they added two pieces that could put them over the top. With fierce competition in the Western Conference, do te Mammoth finally have what it takes to get into the 2026 playoffs?
Do the Mammoth have crease issues?
Utah goaltender Karel Vejmelka played a big role last season in the team's success and had a solid season. He is going into the upcoming season as the number one goaltender but he does have company if he falters. GM Bill Armstrong signed Vitek Vanecek to a one-year deal and Connor Ingram has been cleared to play by the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, leaving two goaltenders to compete for the backup spot.
Vanecek may have the upper hand as he has played more NHL games but Ingram did have four more wins last season. This battle will come to a head at training camp and the best goaltender will win the job. It may be hard to see Vanecek not getting the job since he was just signed.
Forward position upgraded with star power
The Mammoth were a solid team last season but anytime the GM can upgrade the roster in any way he has to do so. Armstrong did that this offseason as he acquired forward J.J. Peterka from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for forward Josh Doan and defenseman Michael Kesselring. While Kesselring is a loss, this move immediately upgrades the forward position.
Peterka has the potential to lead the team in scoring and gives them a legit scoring forward behind Clayton Keller and Logan Cooley. Peterka is still young so he will be there for the long haul but he plays a pivotal position in how far the team goes this season. Peterka scored 27 goals and 42 assists for 68 points in 77 games for a Buffalo team that does not have a lot of offensive weapons.
Tanev's impact on the roster
Another new addition to the roster for the upcoming season is forward Brandon Tanev. Armstrong signed him to a 3-year deal worth $7.5 million and he is coming off a solid season with the Winnipeg Jets, posting one goal and four assists for five points in 19 games. He is a tenacious forward who relies on the forecheck and defensive play to stand out. Tanev is an excellent penalty killer and is effective in all three zones. He is also an upgrade to the bottom six and can be a top contributor on the penalty kill, which ranked 15th last season with a 79.3% kill rate. Tanev is an excellent addition but do not expect a lot of offense -- defense is his game.
Last season, Utah had a good stretch but eventually fizzled out. This season, with two major upgrades in Paterka and Tanev, the overall team should be better. Vejmelka and Vanecek should give the Mammoth a more stable goaltending duo to go with the solid play of the forwards and defense in front of them. Utah makes a last-ditch effort to make the playoffs and they do get in with the play of Vejmelka coming up huge.