The Utah Mammoth didn’t wait long to make themselves at home in the Western Conference. They reached the playoffs for the first time in franchise history in 2026, something the Arizona Coyotes only managed once over their final 12 seasons.
That’s a solid start. But the next jump may come from the same place the first one did: youth.
Utah has already leaned hard into young talent, and the payoff has been obvious. Dylan Guenther put together a 40-goal, 73-point season, nearly doubling the previous franchise mark for goals by a Utah or Arizona player under 23. Logan Cooley kept climbing too, functioning as a legitimate second-line center and scoring at a 65-point pace for the second straight year even while missing 29 games.
Those two were the difference-maker late in the season. Alongside Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz, Cooley and Guenther gave Utah a real punch behind its top names and helped change the look of the lineup down the stretch.
The Mammoth opened the door for young players and got rewarded. Now they may have to do it again.
The next wave is already waiting. Tij Iginla and Caleb Desnoyers are both lined up to make the jump from junior to the pro game.
Iginla arrived as a high-energy scorer, while Desnoyers built his reputation as a two-way playmaker. Both had strong junior runs, and both also dealt with injuries, either playing through them or missing time because of long-term issues.
That didn’t stop them from producing against junior competition, but the NHL brings a different kind of punishment.
And that’s the real test. Iginla is at his best when he’s on the puck, using a crafty stickhandle and a sharp cut through the slot to create danger in the offensive zone.
He plays with an edge, too, which means he can take some heavy hits. Desnoyers dealt with defenders pressing him after the blue line or when he drove down the boards, all while serving as the Moncton Wildcats’ top play-driver.
Neither player was bothered much by that pressure in junior. Utah now has to find out if that game translates once the grind gets heavier.
If they can hold up physically, the Mammoth can make life easier for them. More offensive-zone deployment, more power-play time, fewer defensive-zone starts - that kind of usage would tilt the odds in their favor. In that setup, either rookie could push for at least a third-line job and then try to climb from there.
Utah’s prospect pool doesn’t stop with its headliners, either. Danil But, Gabe Smith and Joshua Roy are also in the mix for top-nine looks.
Their ceiling isn’t as high as Iginla’s or Desnoyers’, but they still give the organization more options. That matters for a bottom six that has long been built around veterans like Jack McBain, Barrett Hayton and Lawson Crouse.
The vets bring stability. The kids could bring flexibility.
That combination can be gold when the games get tighter near the playoffs.
The Mammoth have already proven young players can help them win. After a run of strong free-agent additions, they may be ready for another step if their best prospects earn NHL jobs.
The upside is there. The only thing left is training camp.
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 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 🡒]