The Utah Mammoth didn’t walk away from the 2026 NHL Draft with a huge haul, but the two players they did land at the top of their class might end up looking like major value picks.
That’s especially true with Ethan Belchetz and Adam Valentinia, two names that could make Utah’s young group even more dangerous down the line. The Mammoth spent late June, when the draft was held, and early July making major upgrades elsewhere, but their draft work deserves a close look too.
Belchetz was the first big swing. Utah clearly saw enough upside to move up, sending the 19th overall pick and a third-rounder to get the 17th pick and take the 6'5'' winger.
That kind of move made sense because Belchetz was widely projected to go much earlier than he did, with mock drafts usually placing him somewhere between 10th and 12th overall, and some even putting him as high as 10th. Instead, he slid, and Utah pounced.
For the Mammoth, that could be the kind of draft-night decision that pays off in a big way. Belchetz is already viewed as a strong NHL prospect, and his size alone makes him a tough matchup waiting to happen. He also gives Utah another young player who could develop into a future star, adding to a prospect pool that already includes multiple high-end names.
Valentinia came much later, but the value might be just as loud. Utah grabbed him with the 96th pick in the third round after a steep fall tied to concerns about his size.
Still, he was considered a player who should have gone in the second round, and his talent was never really in doubt. He starred at Michigan last season, and while there’s always a chance a player taken in that range never reaches the NHL, the gap between where Valentini was expected to go and where he actually landed makes him a clear steal on paper.
Put those two picks together, and it’s easy to see why Utah’s draft is part of the reason their offseason has been viewed so positively.
In Other News...
Kevin Connauton Begins Surprising New NHL Path After Final Season
Kevin Connauton spent the 2025-26 season doing what veteran defensemen often get asked to do in the minors: steadying a team, helping younger players find their footing and waiting for the next call. For Tucson, he appeared in 30 games for the Roadrunners, chipped in five assists and provided the kind of experience an AHL club leans on when the standings tighten and the season settles into a grind.
The Roadrunners never got close to a postseason push, finishing seventh in the Pacific Division and missing the playoffs, while Utahs NHL club moved on to a first-round loss against Vegas after a 43-33-6 regular season. Connauton also saw only limited time in the NHL picture, which made his role in Tucson feel especially notable as the season wound down and his path away from the ice began to take shape. [Read more 🡒]