Nick Schmaltz’s 2025-26 season checked just about every box.
He produced at a level that matched the best stretch of his career, reached milestones that had been a long time coming, and even delivered one of the season’s most important defensive plays when the Mammoth needed it most. By the time the year was over, Utah had every reason to view him as one of the pillars of the roster.
In 82 games, Schmaltz posted 33 goals and 41 assists for 74 points. It was the first time he had reached the 30-goal mark, and he set career highs in goals, points, plus/minus, power play goals with 11, shorthanded goals with 2, and game-winning goals with 9. He also matched his career-high in time on ice at 19:43.
The consistency stood out just as much as the scoring. After his second straight 82-game season, Schmaltz has now appeared in every regular season game in franchise history. He’s the only player on the current roster to do it.
The season had its share of big offensive moments, too. On Oct.
17, Schmaltz scored three times and finished with four points in a 6-3 win over the San Jose Sharks. Then on Feb. 2 against the Vancouver Canucks, he picked up his second hat trick of the year in a 6-2 victory.
Still, his defining moment may not have come on a goal at all. In Utah’s overtime win against the Philadelphia Flyers, Schmaltz made the kind of play that doesn’t always show up in the highlights package but can swing a game.
With Karel Vejmelka pulled and Philadelphia’s Garnet Hathaway racing toward an empty net in the final two minutes, Schmaltz stripped him of the puck and kept the game within one. Soon after, captain Clayton Keller scored the first extra attacker goal in franchise history and later added the overtime winner.
Without Schmaltz’s effort, Utah would have likely lost.
There were milestones along the way, too. In his 10 th NHL season, Schmaltz played his 600 th career NHL game on Nov. 2, 2025, and recorded his 300 th career NHL assist on Dec. 17.
For the first time since his rookie season, he also got back into the playoffs. Across six postseason games, Schmaltz scored one goal and added three assists for four points while averaging 23:08 of ice time. He was a key contributor throughout Utah’s run.
That performance only reinforced why the Mammoth moved to keep him around. On Mar.
11, Utah announced an eight-year extension for Schmaltz, securing another important piece of the core. His skill, high hockey-IQ, and strong defensive game give the Mammoth a player they can lean on as they keep chasing a Stanley Cup for Utah.
In Other News...
Utah Faces A Goalie Dilemma That Could Test Its Ambition
Connor Hellebuyck has again made it clear he expects to be traded before the season, and that alone has turned Utahs goaltending situation into one of the more interesting subplots around the league. The Mammoth already have Karel Vejmelka penciled in as their starter, and they recently added backup Sebastian Cossa, so the crease is not exactly bare. Still, a goalie of Hellebuycks stature changes the conversation fast, especially for a team trying to establish itself quickly.
Utahs challenge is obvious: it has to decide whether to stay the course with the tandem it has built or explore a move that could signal a bigger swing at contention. Hellebuyck would be the kind of addition that raises expectations immediately, but there has been no trade confirmed, leaving the Mammoth with a familiar front-office puzzle. They have options in net already, but the possibility of another opening at the position keeps the pressure on and the speculation alive. [Read more 🡒]