The Utah Mammoth are positioned to have a very big season in 2025-26. After being one of the most active teams this summer, the organization is hoping that everyone can have a good year and help them clinch their first playoff berth in franchise history. Unfortunately, in order to do that, some members of the Mammoth organization have to be better. Most of their players had great years, but with only so much ice time to go around, some players need to adjust to new roles within the team and sometimes that means less opportunity.
So, here are three members of the club that need to have a bounce-back year during the 2025-26 season.
Lawson Crouse, F
First up on the list is Lawson Crouse. After being a part of so many trade rumors, his game fell off. In his last year with the Arizona Coyotes in 2023-24, he was just three points shy of his career-high with 42 points in 81 games. However, this past season, his first in Utah, he only managed 18 points in 81 games.
The drastic difference in his point total could be tied to his time on ice being down nearly three minutes, or the role change that saw him playing further down the lineup. Regardless, it is a noticeable drop, and if Utah wants its best chance at hoisting the Stanley Cup, they will need Crouse to be playing some of the best hockey of his career.
That doesn’t mean he needs to score 45 points. Somewhere in the 30-point range would be fine. He just needs to produce more than 18. Eighteen points is what a fourth liner scores in a season playing seven or eight minutes per night. That’s not what you expect from a former 11th overall pick who plays just shy of 14. He needs to find a way to get to scoring areas more often, even if that means driving hard to the net. If it doesn’t happen, he could be at risk of losing his spot on the roster.
Alex Kerfoot, F
Next is Alex Kerfoot, another forward who needs to step up his game. In 2023-24, he had 45 points in 82 games. This season with the Mammoth, he finished with just 28 points in 81 games. Again, like Crouse, it’s a significant drop from the year before.
Unfortunately, with the additions made this offseason, there could be less ice time available. That means he needs to make the most of whatever role he’s given. Kerfoot is in a similar spot to Crouse. His time on ice was cut by just over two minutes. That may not seem like much, but it adds up over 81 games.
This season, the hope is that he can hit the 35-point mark while continuing to give his best effort every shift. The good thing about Kerfoot’s game is that even if he isn’t producing offensively, he can still contribute in other ways. He may not show up on the scoresheet, but he kills penalties, blocks shots, plays in any situation, and can move around the lineup when asked. Regardless, the Mammoth need Kerfoot to put a few more points on the board in 2025-26.
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Sean Durzi, D
The last player on the list is Sean Durzi. His bounce-back season will be for a different reason, but he’s still due for one. He missed 52 games with injury, but when he was healthy and back in the lineup, he had a decent run. In 30 games, he scored 11 points. The year before, he had 41 points in 76 games, a career-high. If he can stay healthy this season, there’s a good chance he reaches that total again, or even surpasses it.
Durzi is a right-shot defenseman who could make the top pair out of training camp alongside Mikhail Sergachev. If that happens, 50 points is not out of the question. That would be huge for Utah’s blue line. A stronger blue line usually means a stronger team overall, which improves their chances of making the playoffs and making a run once they’re there.
For Durzi, the points should come naturally next season. He will likely quarterback a power-play unit, and if he ends up on the top unit, he could finish the year as the team’s highest-scoring defenseman. As mentioned above, he didn’t have a bad year in terms of performance, but missing that much time makes him a clear bounce-back candidate for 2025-26.
