The Mammoth made a few roster and injury moves before their afternoon matchup with Philadelphia, headlined by Michael Carcone coming off injured reserve and John Marino landing on IR.
Carcone’s return was the expected one after the club sent Daniil But back to AHL Tucson on Saturday. The winger missed a little more than three weeks with an upper-body injury, but he’s back after opening the season with a goal and an assist in his first five games. Even in limited minutes, Carcone has shown he can chip in; he scored 17 goals last season and put up 21 in 2023-24 while averaging just under 12 minutes a night.
Marino’s move to injured reserve was also in line with the timeline the team had already laid out. When he got hurt two weeks ago, he was labeled week-to-week, so this wasn’t a sign that a return was around the corner.
Before the injury, Marino was off to a strong start with five points in nine games and more than 20 minutes of ice time per night. His IR placement opened the roster spot used earlier in the day to recall Ben McCartney, and because the move was backdated to October 17th, Marino can be activated whenever he’s ready.
Kailer Yamamoto was the other name on the injury report, listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. He has already been a healthy scratch five times this season, but when he has played, he’s been productive: four goals and three assists in nine appearances. His ice time is also up by nearly three minutes per game, and for now it appears the Mammoth expect his absence to be a short one.
In Other News...
Former Coyotes Forward Ben McCartney Is Back In The NHL Spotlight
Ben McCartney is getting another look at the NHL level after the Utah Mammoth recalled the forward from their AHL affiliate in Tucson. It is his first call-up of the season, a deserved nod for a player who has been one of the Roadrunners more productive and reliable forwards and has kept himself in the conversation with steady work in the minors.
For Coyotes fans, McCartneys name still carries a little familiarity from his brief time in Arizona, when he reached the NHL with the franchise in 2021-22. He now gets a chance to re-enter the league through Utah, even if the next step in that story is still to be written. [Read more 🡒]
Utahs Flyers Plan Puts One Familiar Coyotes Name Back In Focus
Utahs push toward a faster, more aggressive style has put a familiar Coyotes name back in the conversation, even as the team turns its attention to the Flyers. Andr Tourigny said the focus is on attacking quickly, and in that same context the club brought up forward Ben McCartney from Tucson, with the coach pointing to the kind of energy and physical edge he can bring when the game opens up.
McCartneys return adds another layer to a roster that is still being shaped around pace and pressure, especially with the organization trying to balance immediate needs against long-term development. Daniil But was sent back to Tucson to get more ice time and keep building his game, a reminder that these moves are as much about the bigger picture as they are about the next matchup. [Read more 🡒]
Vejmelkas Struggles Have Utah Fans Watching The Crease Closely
The crease has become a real point of concern for Utah after another rough night from Karel Vejmelka in a loss to Philadelphia. He surrendered five goals on 20 shots, and the performance fit a troubling stretch that has left the Mammoth buried near the bottom of the league in both goals saved above expected and save percentage.
With the goaltending numbers trending the wrong way, the conversation is shifting toward whether Utah should give Sebastian Cossa a look in net to see what it has behind Vejmelka. The timing matters because the Mammoth need to know whether they can ride out this spell or if a change is needed before the season drifts further in the wrong direction. [Read more 🡒]