After years at the bottom of the standings prior to relocation, the Utah Mammoth have built an intriguing pipeline of prospects that could help accelerate their competitive timeline. Tony Ferrari takes a deep dive into the franchise's next wave of NHL talent.
The Utah Mammoth are a team that has been building up over the last couple of years since relocating from Arizona, and they are on the cusp of breaking through.
So much of their build has come from the draft and development system that they’ve built, and the prospect in their pipeline should continue to add to their impressive young core.
With the NHL off-season is in full swing, we have the perfect opportunity to look at each team’s prospect pool, going in alphabetical order, which means it’s Utah’s turn.
In our annual Prospect Pool Deep Dive series, Tony Ferrari will dig into each team’s top prospects, the strengths and weaknesses of the pipeline, a quick overview of their latest draft class, where each team's positional depth chart stands, and who could be next in line for an NHL chance.
Initial Overview of Top Prospects
On the verge of breaking through as a potentially strong Stanley Cup contender, the Utah Mammoth have an intriguing group of young players right on the verge of making their way into the NHL.
Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther form a strong duo up front. Cooley is a breakout candidate who could become one of the game's top centers, while Guenther is quickly becoming one of the league’s most feared shooters.
There is plenty on the way as well. Winger Daniil But and defender Dmitri Simashev are a pair of hulking Russians that should play NHL games this year and could make the team out of camp.
But may be 6-foot-6, but he’s incredibly skilled and an excellent puck handler. He’s a rangey winger who can play the role of playmaker or finisher. He has a chance to step into a top nine role as soon as training camp.
Simashev is one of the most complete defensive prospects in the league. The 6-foot-5 blueliner is a gifted skater who is also a better puck mover than he’s given credit for. He had the chance to show that at the AHL level last year, where he had 35 points in 40 games.
He played in 28 games last year at the NHL level where he was clearly adapting to the pace. Simashev will be given a chance in training camp to earn a full-time role, with the chance to showcase his playmaking a bit more as well.
Tij Iginla has dealt with injuries at times since being drafted but when he’s been on the ice, he’s been one of the best players in the CHL. He plays with a blend of relentless effort and offensive skill, consistently looking to win races to pucks and then attack the middle.
Iginla is jumping to the AHL this season where he will look to establish himself at the pro level. His ability to consistently get to the inside and attack play head on is what makes him special.
After a slow start last season due to injury, Caleb Desnoyers began to play much better in the second half as he got healthy and returned to form in the QMJHL. Desnoyers is the ultimate tactician down the middle, understanding how to play a sound two-way game and excel as a playmaker offensively.
Desnoyers is a very skilled passer, showing the touch needed to feather pucks through traffic and onto the tape of his linemates. He’s going to get the chance to make Utah in training camp but he might be a year away from making an impact at the NHL level.
In a move that didn’t create waves this offseason, the Mammoth traded defenseman Maksymilian Szuber to the Montreal Canadiens for forward Joshua Roy. The 23-year-old winger has been close to getting a full-time look in the NHL, but each time, he has struggled with the pace of play.
He is a very good play-connector who can finish when needed but he doesn’t always keep up to the speed of the game at the NHL level. This is a fresh start for Roy.
Standing 6-foot-7, Maveric Lamoureux is a defender who could fill a role as a play-killer who can shut things down in his own end. His offensive game flashes a bit of skill, but there might not be upside at the NHL level.
Lamoureux's length is going to be a massive advantage when he does make the full-time jump to the Mammoth, but he just needs to get a bit more fluid on his feet. He's played in NHL games over the last couple of years and we could see him get into more if there are injuries this year.
Arguably the biggest off-season addition for the Mammoth was trading for Sebastian Cossa. The former Red Wings goalie prospect is going to get a chance to play at the NHL level with Utah, bringing a massive frame and strong athleticism.
Cossa has all of the physical tools to be a top-notch NHL goaltender but he needs to work on staying more composed when things do get a little hectic. This is going to be a big year where he looks to prove doubters wrong.
U23 Players Likely To Play In The NHL This Season
Caleb Desnoyers (C/W), Daniil But (LW/RW), Dmitri Simashev (D), Logan Cooley (LW/C)
2026 NHL Draft Class
Round 1, 17th overall - Ethan Belchetz, LW, Windsor (OHL)
Round 3, 96th overall - Adam Valentini, C/LW, Univ of Michigan (NCAA)
Round 4, 115th overall - Carl Axelsson, G, Muskegon (USHL)
Round 5, 130th overall - Theodor Knights, D, MoDo Jr. (Swe-Jr)
Round 5, 147th overall - Florent Houle, RW, Sherbrooke (QMJHL)
Round 7, 211th overall - Artyom Prima, LW, Minot (NAHL)
The Utah Mammoth have a type, at least with their high draft picks. They love to draft massive players who bring a blend of size and skill. That remained true with their first round pick, Ethan Belchetz.
The Spitfires forward has been one of the most hotly-debated prospects in hockey this past year because he possesses some of the most impressive skill and scoring ability while bringing a 6-foot-5 frame.
The issue is that his skating and overall mobility remain big concerns for his long-term outlook. Belchetz can be a game-breaker if he gets his skating up to the standard of the NHL.
The Mammoth didn’t make another selection in this year's draft until the third roun. They strayed off their typical track of massive prospects by taking Adam Valentini, a smaller forward who was one of the most intelligent and tactical players in the draft. At 5-foot-10, teams were hesitant on taking him, but his two-way play and motor are relentless.
Valentini had a very good freshman year at the University of Michigan, scoring more than Gavin McKenna through the first half of the year. Valentini had a slower second half but showcased his game at the U-18s for Canada, asserting himself as one of the teams most complete forwards.
In round four, the Mammoth took overage goaltender Carl Axelsson out of the USHL. The 6-foot-4 Swedish netminder was fantastic for the Muskegon Lumberjacks as he prepares to head to the University of Minnesota-Duluth in the fall.
Axelsson is very calm, composed, and positionally sound. He has good hands and quick feet in the crease. He needs to stay within himself to be at his best, because when het gets moving too much, he can be a bit sloppy.
Fifth-round pick Theodor Knights is a physical, defensive blueliner who can play real meat-and-potatoes hockey. He doesn’t shy away from getting involved in the corners or around the net. Knights isn’t much of a puck-mover, bringing an old-school flavor to the game. There was some discussion earlier in the year about him being a top-75 prospect.
Utah took a chance on Florent Houle in the fifth round, viewing him as a potential late bloomer who took a step with his skill over the last year. Houle showed increased pace, more dynamism and increased play-driving.
His game is still developing and it worked well at the QMJHL level where the defensive environment was favorable but he is going to have to prove that he can do it against higher levels of competition.
Artyom Prima was the Mammoth’s seventh-rounder, capping off their draft with a player from the NAHL. He plays with speed and high effort, consistently looking to hunt down the puck and put pressure on opposing defenders on the forecheck.
Prima’s game is fairly raw, having played just a handful of games at the USHL level but he could be a really interesting development project.
Strengths
The Mammoth have done an excellent job of drafting impactful left wingers over the last few years.
Iginla and But will likely play at the AHL level this year but could push for NHL jobs in training camp. Top draft choice this past June, Ethan Belchetz, will be a player of note this fall. Valentini was one of the best value picks in the draft this year. Players like Noel Nordh, Ilya Fedotov, and Sam Lipkin are all interesting depth swings.
Utah has a ton of really solid prospects on the left wing up front, many of which would easily be their top prospect on the right side.
Weaknesses
Speaking of the right side, that’s where their biggest weakness is in the pipeline.
Newly acquired Joshua Roy easily took to the top spot on the prospect depth chart and he was a player that had opportunity in Montreal before being pushed out because of his lack of pace at the NHL level.
The Mammoth just don’t seem to have legitimate talent on the right wing. There are some longshots to be certain but even the long shots on the left side would ascend to the top of the depth chart on the right.
Hidden Gem: Ludvig Johnson, D
Drafted last year as an overager, Ludvig Johnson is the type of defenseman that plays a mobile, intelligent game. When he’s at his best, you almost don’t even realize that he’s played 18-22 minutes that night.
He’s a capable two-way defender who is smooth and fluid on his feet with the passing ability that is a requisite the play at the NHL level in any situation. He makes excellent reads defensively and skates to cut the play down.
The 6-foot Swiss blueliner has been excellent at the pro level in Switzerland, where he has one more year on his contract before likely heading to the AHL.
Next Man Up: Sebastian Cossa, G
Utah traded the 23rd-overall pick to Detroit for Sebastian Cossa, the gigantic netminder drafted 15th overall in 2021. Now 23, Cossa is going to have a chance to step into the lineup for Utah, begin the year as the backup and push Karel Vejmelka for starts throughout the season.
The highly-regarded goaltender could easily be the long-term answer in net for Utah now that Vejmelka is entering his 30s, giving the Mammoth another prospect to grow with the younger core. 30-40 starts should be the expectations for Cossa, who has been dominant in times at the AHL level.
Prospect Depth Chart Notables
LW: Tij Iginla, Ethan Belchetz, Daniil But, Adam Valentini, Noel Nordh, Julian Lutz, Ilya Fedotov, Sam Lipkin, Artyom Prima
C: Caleb Desnoyers, Owen Allard, Tanner Ludtke, Gabe Smith, Vojtech Hradec
RW: Josh Roy, Vadim Moroz, Miko Matikka, Yegor Borikov, Florent Houle
LD: Dmitri Simashev, Artyom Duda, Theodor Knights, Veeti Vaisanen, Ludvig Johnson, Gregor Biber
RD: Maveric Lamoureux, Max Psenicka, Tomas Lavoie, Reko Alanko
G: Sebastian Cossa, Michal Hrabal, Melker Thelin, Carl Axelsson, Ivan Tkach-Tkachenko, Carsen Musser
For a deeper dive into the prospect pool with player rankings, check out the Yearbook and Future Watch editions of the Hockey News print edition
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