NHL free agency opens in just over two weeks, and the Utah Mammoth have some big questions to answer. Recently in the news, we've heard some of them. Are they going to trade their fourth overall pick? Will they land Mitch Marner in free agency? Is Utah the team to watch this summer?
Well, lost in all that is the reality that they also need to find players that fit their team's style and work on signing them. One player that comes to mind is Andrew Mangiapane from the Washington Capitals.
His style of play would fit very well with Utah's. He brings some tenacity, secondary scoring, and can also kill penalties when needed. This past season with the Capitals, he had 14 goals and 28 points in 81 games. However, the season before with the Calgary Flames, he had 40 points. In fact, in the three previous seasons, he had 40 or more points, including his career-high 55.
Although he had a good season as a role player with the Capitals, he is looking to find a new team that will provide him the opportunity to have a bounce-back season. If he can reach 40 points again on a salary that he is projected to have, it would be a win-win for the Mammoth.
His projected salary is expected to be around $3.8 million over two years, which would be an ideal AAV for a middle-six player that can play up into the top-six when needed.
For a team like Utah, who could be trying to land a huge fish like Marner, they need as many of these types of contracts as they can get. If you look back to teams like the Tampa Bay Lightning or even currently with the Florida Panthers, they have a number of impactful players on cheaper deals. It gives an NHL team the best chance to maximize their salary cap and, more importantly, push for a Stanley Cup.
