The Utah Mammoth wasted little time making their stance clear on Barrett Hayton.
On Wednesday, the club announced it had matched the New Jersey Devils’ offer sheet for the center, keeping him in Utah on a one-year deal with a $4.775 million salary cap hit. That move locks Hayton into the roster for next season, and because he’ll be eligible for unrestricted free agency on July 1, Utah is also barred from trading him for the next year.
Hayton’s path with the organization has been a long one. The Arizona Coyotes selected him No. 5 overall in the 2018 NHL Draft, and he has stayed with the franchise through the move to Salt Lake City.
Production-wise, Hayton brings a mix of value that doesn’t always show up in the box score. He’s a two-way forward with strong underlying numbers, even if the offense has been uneven.
In the 2025-26 season, he finished with 25 points, scoring 10 goals and adding 15 assists in 67 regular-season games. His lone playoff appearance didn’t produce any points.
The year before was his best yet. Hayton played all 82 games in 2024-25 and set career highs across the board with 20 goals, 26 assists and 46 points.
Now the Peterborough, Ontario native is set to fit into a reshaped Utah forward group after the team added Vincent Trocheck in a blockbuster trade with the New York Rangers. Hayton’s versatility gives head coach Andre Tourigny options, since he has used him both at center and on the wing.