The Utah Mammoth have spent the summer watching the market get louder and more chaotic, but the smartest move might be the simplest one: stay away from Connor Hellebuyck and Dylan Larkin.
That’s not a knock on the names. It’s a recognition of fit, price, and timing. Utah has already made its share of moves, with Vincent Trocheck waiving his no-move clause to come to Utah, while the rest of the league has seen plenty of shuffling, from Brady Tkachuk heading to South Florida to Bowen Byram landing in the Windy City and Pavel Trochek landing in the Big Apple.
Hellebuyck’s situation is the more complicated of the two. Last week, he publicly announced his trade request from the Winnipeg Jets.
Winnipeg, the Presidents’ Trophy winner from two years ago, has slid badly after a flat 2024-2025 and a quiet offseason. Hellebuyck is still a three-time Vezina Trophy winner, and his regular-season numbers remain strong: a 2.01 GAA and .925 save percentage in 2024-2025.
But the playoffs told the usual story. His postseason line dipped to a 3.08 GAA and .866 save percentage, and the season before looked similar.
At 33, with five years left on an $8.5 million cap hit, he’s not exactly a clean fit for a team trying to build toward a bigger window. The trade cost would be hefty, too.
Utah would likely have to part with Karel Vejmelka, include another player such as McBain to make the money work, and still send over a prospect or draft capital. That’s a lot to pay for a goalie whose postseason track record hasn’t matched his regular-season reputation.
There’s also the future to think about. Utah recently traded for Sebastian Cossa and signed Michael Hrabal to an ELC, two names that should matter when the Mammoth are aiming for a championship run.
Bringing in Hellebuyck would slow that path down. Hrabal is expected to be on track to reach the NHL around the time Vejmelka’s contract expires, which makes the long-term picture even harder to ignore.
Larkin brings a different issue, but the same basic conclusion. He has made it clear he wants out of Detroit, and the Red Wings are still trying to find a way back after nine straight seasons without a playoff berth. The organization has been through plenty of false starts, and Detroit would want a strong return for a player with five years left at an $8.7 million AAV.
But the numbers don’t scream must-have. Larkin hasn’t put together an 80-point season as a 1C, and his plus/minus history is light on bright spots.
Since his rookie year, he has had only two plus seasons: +5 in 2023-2024 and +3 last season. By comparison, Clayton Keller posted a +21 last season while leading the Mammoth to the playoffs.
Utah also already has depth down the middle, with four centers and Trocheck able to slide over from wing if needed. Adding Larkin would clutter a spot that doesn’t need clutter, and paying that kind of price for a 3C is a steep ask.
Utah’s summer has already shown what Bill Armstrong wants this roster to be: tougher, deeper, and ready to push for one of the top three spots in the Central. He has been willing to make changes when they’re needed, and he hasn’t been shy about acting when an opportunity makes sense. But Hellebuyck and Larkin don’t feel like those kinds of opportunities.
Both were key pieces in helping the United States win its first gold medal in 46 years. That’s real. But for the Mammoth, the better play is to let those two become somebody else’s problem and trust the roster that’s already in place.
In Other News...
Former Coyotes Goalie Prospect Is Forcing His Way Into Utahs Plans
Michael Hrabal has already given Utah a reason to keep him on the radar. The 6-foot-6 Czech goalie, a former second-round pick, signed his three-year entry-level deal in March after a standout season at UMass, where he drew plenty of attention as one of the most intriguing young netminders in the pipeline. For a club trying to build out its long-term depth in goal, the appeal is obvious.
Hrabal is still viewed as a prospect who is not expected to jump straight into NHL duty, but his college resume made him impossible to ignore. His strong year included Hockey East Player of the Year honors, and he piled up the kind of recognition that tends to keep a goalie in the conversation even after a team adds another prospect to the mix. With Utah also bringing in Sebastian Cossa, the competition in the system is starting to feel real, and Hrabal has done enough to make sure his name stays in it. [Read more 🡒]
Utahs Next Step May Hinge On A Prospect Battle Fans Need To Watch
Utahs first playoff trip in franchise history in 2026 was built in part on the kind of young talent that can change a teams trajectory quickly, with Dylan Guenther and Logan Cooley helping drive the push into the postseason. Now the next wave is lining up behind them, and the organization is facing the familiar challenge that comes with success: figuring out which prospects are ready to turn promise into permanent NHL roles.
The camp battle worth watching centers on a crowded mix of hopefuls, with Tij Iginla and Caleb Desnoyers among the names expected to push for roster spots alongside Danil But, Gabe Smith and Joshua Roy. The pecking order will not be settled until the group gets into training camp and proves who can handle the pace and demands of pro hockey, a decision that could shape how high Utahs ceiling rises from here. [Read more 🡒]
Utahs Goal Scoring Race Says Everything About This Offense
Utahs forward group has a nice problem heading into 2026-27, with several players who can realistically stake a claim as the clubs top goal scorer. Nick Schmaltz gives the Mammoth a proven finishing threat after a 33-goal season, while Logan Cooley continues to look like a driver for the next wave of offense. Add Dylan Guenther to that mix and the scoring race starts to say a lot about how deep and balanced this attack can be if the younger core keeps taking steps forward.
Guenther is the name that keeps rising because his progression has been steady and the ceiling still looks higher than the production he has already shown. Cooley brings the kind of skill that can tilt games, and Schmaltz provides veteran certainty at the top of the lineup, but the real intrigue is how Utahs offense could spread its finishing across multiple lines instead of leaning on one obvious source. For a team built around growth, that kind of internal competition may be as encouraging as any single scoring total. [Read more 🡒]