The Utah Mammoth are looking to take the next steps into becoming one of the powers in the NHL.
The team showed signs of heading in the right direction during its inaugural season in Utah, finishing with a 38-31-13 record and just seven points out of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Utah has come out firing on all cylinders this season, sitting tied for second in the Central Division with a 9-4-0 record and had a franchise-record seven-game win streak snapped last week.
The Mammoth are coming off a big 2-1 overtime win over Buffalo on Tuesday as they get set to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday.
“It’s been a slow burn, and we’ve taken some beatings in the rebuild [while still in Arizona],” Mammoth general manager Doug Armstrong told TSN’s First Up on Wednesday. “[Now] we’re one of the fastest teams in the NHL, and we’re pretty hard-working.
“It’s nice to see us as a complete team that can compete against anybody every night. These are the fun moments when our team shows its potential, and we can compete against the best teams in the NHL.”
The one of the main reasons for the Mammoth’s turnaround early in the season has been the development of their young, skilled players.
Forwards Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther have both taken steps forward in their development and have been key pieces in their offence.
Both players came into the have grown up together in the organization with Guenther drafted ninth overall in 2021 and Cooley taken third overall in 2022.
Guenther made his NHL debut during the 2022-23 campaign and has steadily improved every year, culminating with a career-high 27 goals and 60 points last season.
This year, the 6-foot-1 winger has five goals and 12 points through 13 games and is on pace for 76 points.
Cooley debuted during the 2023-24 campaign and had a career-high 25 goals and 65 points last year. The 6-foot centre has exploded offensively this season with eight goals and 12 points and is currently on pace to score 50 goals.
Combining their growing young talent with veteran core pieces like forward Nick Schmaltz, Clayton Keller, JJ Peterka, and defenceman Mikahil Sergachev has helped place the Mammoth where they are right now.
More importantly for the Mammoth, both of these young stars are locked in with the organization.
Guenther is in the first season of an eight-year, $57.1 million deal that carries a cap hit of $7.14 million. Utah was then able to avoid restricted free agency with Cooley, signing him to an eight-year, $80 million deal last week that will see him remain a Mammoth until after the 2033-34 campaign.
“Knowing that this level of talent is going to be around in Utah for a long time to come is huge for us,” said Armstrong. “We’re about 60 per cent done in our build and we want to get to the point where that talent is going to be around for windows where we can take runs at championships.
“It’s a painful, patient process of planning, but we’ve stuck to it, and we continue to move forward with it.”
The slow, youthful build that Utah has employed is not unique to them around the league as a number of teams are starting to see the fruits of their labour.
The Montreal Canadiens, Anaheim Ducks, and Seattle Kraken have gone through similar phases as the Mammoth, and those teams have started to creep towards the top of the standings alongside teams that have been consistent contenders over the past decade.
Armstrong welcomes the newly found competition across the NHL and thinks that it is a great situation for the league to be in.
“It’s a great league right now, and I love the fact that so many young teams are in there,” said Armstrong. “Anybody can beat anybody every night and you’ve got to prepare for it. I think the league is wide open and the league has taken a step [forward] with all the good young players coming in.
“We’re not a surprise anymore. Neither is Montreal. Neither is Anaheim. It’s going to be very interesting coming down the stretch.”
