Logan Cooley Is One Breakout Game Away From Changing the Conversation

Logan Cooley has already shown what he can do when he's healthy.

After a freak accident cost him 28 games last season, the Utah Mammoth center still found the back of the net 24 times in just 54 appearances. So, six games into a new season without a goal, he's not about to panic.

“I obviously like to have a goal by now,” Cooley told KSL Sports' Cale Bagley. “I think it's just gonna come. It always does, and I think you just can't get frustrated.”

Cooley has five assists through the Mammoth's first six games, but the goals haven't followed. For a player who scored at a 36-goal pace over a full 82-game season last year, the early drought is hardly a reason to sound the alarm.

In fact, it's not difficult to imagine what last season might have looked like without the injury.

Cooley broke his leg after a freak accident in which he crashed into the goalpost, sidelining him for 28 games. Despite the lost time, he finished with 24 goals in 54 games. Had he maintained that scoring pace over a full season, he would have finished with approximately 36 goals, putting the 40-goal mark within reach.

At the very least, a healthy Cooley had a legitimate shot at 30 goals. And at just 22 years old, his offensive ceiling remains one of the most exciting parts of his game.

But Cooley isn't dwelling on what could have been last season, and he's not putting unnecessary pressure on himself this time around, either.

“We're six games. It's not like we're at 15, 20,” Cooley said.

There's a reason for that confidence. Last season, Cooley scored in his second game and again in his sixth before erupting for a hat trick a few games later. Sometimes, all it takes is one performance to get a scorer rolling, and Cooley has already shown how quickly he can heat up.

He believes the biggest thing right now is getting back to shooting the puck more often.

“I think it's been pretty easy to defend me because I'm not really a threat with shooting the puck,” Cooley said. “So I think just getting back to that, and, you know, they'll start to go.”

It's a simple adjustment, but an important one. When defenders don't have to respect Cooley's shot, they can focus more on disrupting his passing lanes and limiting his options. Becoming a shooting threat again could open up more space for both himself and his teammates.

That's what makes his slow start worth watching, but not worrying about.

Cooley signed an eight-year, $80 million contract extension last fall, a commitment that reflects how important he is to Utah's future. The expectations are high, and rightfully so. But six games without a goal hardly change the outlook for a player who has already demonstrated he can score at an elite pace.

The five assists are a reminder that Cooley is still contributing, even while he searches for his finishing touch. And if last season taught us anything, it's that a quiet start doesn't necessarily last long.

One goal could get him going. One big game could change the conversation entirely. And if another hat trick comes early in the season, the current drought could quickly become an afterthought.

For now, Cooley isn't pressing. He knows the goals will come.

And given what he's already shown when healthy, the sky remains the limit.

The Mammoth will put their 4-2 record on the line Tuesday night as they face the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Puck drop is at 7 p.m. local time.