Utah Mammoth prospects Daniil But and Dmitri Simashev are expected to join the organization next season.
After winning the KHL’s Gagarin Cup with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, it has been rumoured that both players will be making their way to North America and could join Utah’s organization as early as next season.
Simashev, 20, was drafted with the sixth overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft and was expected to be a top-four talent for the team. It now looks like we’ll get the chance to see him play at the 2025-26 training camp. At 6-foot-5 and 203 pounds, he fits well on the blue line as a big body who isn’t afraid to use it.
But is also 20 years old and was selected 12th overall in the 2023 NHL Draft. He is a right-handed shot who plays the left wing, and like Simashev, isn’t afraid to use his size. In 54 games in the KHL, he recorded 28 points and could turn out to be a very solid top-six forward for Utah.
Having both Simashev and But join the organization this season is huge for Utah. If they make the roster, it adds two rookies on entry-level contracts into the lineup. That will allow the team to use more cap space on free agents to improve the roster while insulating their young core with highly skilled players.
It’s a step forward in their rebuild, and one that comes with real upside. With Simashev and But in the fold, Utah will be one step closer to icing a playoff-contending team and making a legitimate push toward the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
