The Utah Mammoth have put together a 7-4-0 start and are still sitting at the top of the Central Division, but the early-season concern is hard to ignore: the goaltending has been rough, and it’s starting to point Utah toward a big decision.
Karel Vejmelka has handled the bulk of the work so far, going 5-3-0, but the numbers are ugly. His .872 save percentage ranks 41st, and he’s allowing 3.04 goals per game. He has only started eight games, so there’s still time for that to change, especially with the defense and penalty kill also struggling badly in front of him.
That said, the issue goes beyond bad circumstances. Even if the team in front of him hasn’t helped, elite goaltenders are often the ones who can rise above that. Utah hasn’t gotten that level of play yet from either of its goalies.
Sebastian Cossa has only begun getting his first real experience at 23, and the results have been even tougher. In his starts, he is 2-1-0 with an .820 save percentage and 3.33 goals allowed per game. Together, the Vejmelka-Cossa tandem just hasn’t been enough.
That’s where Connor Hellebuyck enters the picture. The 33-year-old has not played in 2026-27 because the Winnipeg Jets still haven’t found a trade partner for him, but Utah could be that destination. He’s the type of goalie who can lift a team on his own, and even after a down 2025-26 season, he remains one of the best in the world, something he showed with the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Utah has been fine offensively, which makes the idea even more tempting. Add a superstar goalie, and the Mammoth could go from good start to true Stanley Cup contender in a hurry. Right now, though, the goalies are making it impossible for Utah to just stand pat, and a Hellebuyck trade is looking more plausible by the day.
In Other News...
Utahs Strong Start Comes With A Problem Fans Cant Ignore
Utahs hot start has been enough to keep the Mammoth sitting atop the Central Division, but the road game in Seattle offered a reminder that the first-place perch comes with some real questions attached. The third period briefly looked like the kind of rally that can steady a team, with Logan Cooley driving the comeback and giving Utah life after a sluggish stretch.
The problem is the details underneath the fightback, because the penalty kill again left too much room for damage and the goaltending was not sharp enough to cover it. A pair of Seattle power-play goals proved costly, and Karel Vejmelkas night ended with an .818 save percentage, the kind of performance that will keep the discussion going even after the standings still say Utah is in a strong spot. [Read more 🡒]
Coyotes Let Another Winnable Game Slip Away Against Seattle
Utah had enough chances to make a night of it before Seattles depth and special teams took over. The game featured goals from Jordan Eberle, Vincent Trocheck and Brandon Montour, along with a steady stream of penalties that kept both benches busy and gave the matchup a stop-start feel. Even with the stat sheet showing plenty of back-and-forth across shots, hits, blocked shots and faceoffs, the Coyotes were left chasing a result that felt within reach for long stretches.
The frustration is that this one sat there for Arizona to grab if it could have found one more push at the right time. Instead, Seattle kept answering, and a game that had been level at 3-3 eventually tilted away late, turning what looked like a winnable night into another missed opportunity. For a team trying to bank points in a tight race, those are the losses that linger. [Read more 🡒]
Former Coyotes Pick Artem Duda Just Made Arizona Fans Pay Attention
Artem Dudas name is suddenly back on the radar for anyone who followed the Coyotes late draft years, and it has everything to do with how quickly his stock has started to rise in the Utah system. The defenseman recently earned his first NHL call-up after a strong start to the 2026-27 season with Tucson, a development that suggests the former second-round pick is moving from prospect territory into real organizational plans.
Utah has now added another layer to that momentum with a new contract extension that begins in the 2027-28 season. The deal gives the Mammoth some cost certainty on a player they clearly believe in, while also signaling that Dudas path forward is no longer just about proving he belongs at the next level. For Coyotes fans, there is a familiar sting in seeing a player they once drafted begin to take off somewhere else, especially when the early signs are this encouraging. [Read more 🡒]