The Utah Mammoth have a real chance to take advantage of cap-strapped teams before the 2025-26 NHL season gets going. With $6.6 million in projected cap space and their roster basically set, they could land an impact player from a team that's tight against the ceiling and needs to move someone out.
As mentioned, they don’t need to make a move from a numbers standpoint. But if it makes the team better, general manager Bill Armstrong could still be in the mix. There are a few clubs who, unless they plan to put someone on long-term injured reserve (LTIR), will have to make a move just to become cap compliant under the $95.5 million ceiling.
One is Vegas, though they’ll be putting Alex Pietrangelo on LTIR since his career appears to be over. Montreal could try to move a contract or two, but they can also put Carey Price on LTIR again. Florida’s in a different spot. They have 14 forwards listed and could send someone down to open space, or even move out Evan Rodrigues, who carries a $3 million cap hit.
Then there’s Edmonton, Philadelphia, St. Louis, and the New York Rangers. All are sitting less than $1 million below the cap. If any of them make another signing, they might be forced to part with someone earning more than league minimum.
That’s where the Mammoth could step in. They’ve got the prospect pool and draft picks to get a deal done, which could make the next month and a half really interesting as teams try to get below the cap.
