With all the speculation surrounding the Utah Mammoth and how active they are going to be this offseason, it got me thinking. Who are some free agents that they would actually target? With $21 million in cap space and some players they can move out to clear more, they have the ability to do a few things this summer to drastically change their team.
This year’s free agent pool has some big names. It’s headlined by Toronto Maple Leafs star forwards Mitch Marner and John Tavares. There are also Florida Panthers' Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad, and Brad Marchand, Winnipeg Jets' Nikolaj Ehlers, and Vancouver Canucks' Brock Boeser — all potentially available barring any extensions within the next few weeks.
For Utah, the goal is to be a playoff team. New owners Ryan and Ashley Smith want to show the NHL what they’ve already proven they can do in the NBA with the Utah Jazz. They've been active in trades and free agency to make that team better over the years, and they want that mentality to carry over to the NHL. This year feels like the one where we’ll most likely see that happen. It all starts with the 2025 NHL Draft, which is just two weeks away, and then July 1 when the market opens. So with that, here are a few players worth looking at.
Mitch Marner – Toronto Maple Leafs
This one should come as a surprise to absolutely no one. Not only is he the biggest name on the market, but he’s also hands down the best player. Unfortunately, his time with the Maple Leafs looks to be coming to an end, and that will mean he’ll be looking for a new opportunity — likely one in a quieter market than Toronto. He shouldn’t have to look much further than Utah. From a team’s perspective, he is exactly what they need. They have the high-end draft picks, a deep prospect pool, and some big-name players like Clayton Keller, but they don’t have a 100-point player like Marner.
Utah would benefit from having Marner play on a line with Keller and Logan Cooley. The trio, although small, would be highly skilled and could easily hit 260 points combined. If Utah were to sign Marner, the asking price would be high — as of right now, the reported ask is $13+ million over seven years. They can afford that and would most likely agree to it. It would just mean they’d need to plan out their future pending UFAs and RFAs over the next few seasons to make sure they can keep the players they want around. Yes, it’s an extremely high price, but the payoff would be worth it. Plus, who knows — maybe once he’s out of the pressure cooker that is Toronto, he’ll finally start to find playoff success.
Nikolaj Ehlers – Winnipeg Jets
Another big-name free agent that Utah could target is Nikolaj Ehlers. Obviously, this would likely mean they didn’t have much success landing Marner. However, depending on how their contracts are structured, Utah could realistically afford both. Ehlers would be a very strong pickup for the Mammoth. At 29 years old, he has proven to be a highly-skilled sniper in the NHL and has had great success with the Jets over his career.
If he hits the open market and Utah can sign him, the asking price isn’t unreasonable. His projected contract, according to CapWages.com, is $8.1 million over six years. With him being 29, a six-year deal works well for both parties. In terms of fit on the team, he would find success on either of the top two lines. Whether it’s with Keller on the first line or joining Nick Schmaltz on the second line, Ehlers will produce. We've seen it season after season — he can find the back of the net at least 20 times per year, and if given more ice time, he could reach 30+ goals a handful of times over his next contract.
Mammoth & Islanders GMs Reportedly Talk At NHL Draft Combine
Yesterday, my colleague <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/latest-news/islanders-utah-spoke-at-nhl-draft-combine" target="_blank">Stefan Rosner of the New York Islanders</a>’ team site reported that Utah Mammoth GM Bill Armstrong and Islanders GM Mathieu Darche were seen having conversations at the 2025 NHL Draft Combine.
Matt Duchene – Dallas Stars
The last player on the list is Matt Duchene. Although he’s a bit older than both Ehlers and Marner, he can add something Utah doesn’t currently have much of: depth down the middle. As of right now, their centers are Cooley, Barrett Hayton, Jack McBain (RFA), and Kevin Stenlund. If they can add Duchene and he plays on the second line behind Cooley, it pushes Hayton down to the third line and likely moves McBain to the wing, which gives the team more depth. The Mammoth have a ton of organizational depth in terms of prospects, but as far as experienced NHL players go, they lack that — which is why they should emphasize targeting Duchene.
Duchene, 34, has been around the block and is looking for some stability on his next deal. His projected contract is somewhere in the neighborhood of $7 million over three years, which would be ideal for Utah. In three years' time, they’ll have a handful of young players pushing for more ice time, and they can easily transition away from Duchene if needed. But if we’ve learned anything over the last eight years of playoff hockey, teams with good depth down the middle typically have more success when it matters — in April and May. That is the goal for the Mammoth, to bring playoff hockey to Utah for the first time in their history. To be able to do that in just their second year would be amazing, and it’s why they need to look at adding an experienced center like Duchene.
Mammoth fans don’t need to wait long to find out what happens. In just two weeks’ time, the 2025 NHL Draft will be here, and before we know it, so will free agency. After that, it’s time to figure out who plays where on the team. So buckle up — things are going to start happening quickly.
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