Mar 20, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Buffalo Sabres right wing JJ Peterka (77) and Utah Hockey Club defenseman Sean Durzi (50) battle for the puck during the first period at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/3717277b-98f0-4766-858d-89044e4d3d9d.jpeg] Mar 20, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Buffalo Sabres right wing JJ Peterka (77) and Utah Hockey Club defenseman Sean Durzi (50) battle for the puck during the first period at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images When Utah's Jack McBain signed a five-year extension to return and play for the Mammoth, a lot of the question marks surrounding this team were lifted. Sure, there’s still a chance the Mammoth add players to the roster, whether through prospects or free agency. But with McBain back, Utah answers its biggest remaining free agent question and retains an important third-line player. Not only does bringing back McBain help keep Utah tough, but at just 25 years old, he fits perfectly with the window Utah Mammoth GM Bill Armstrong has envisioned for this team. “He is a big, strong, physical player who competes hard on a nightly basis and brings a gritty toughness to our group," said Armstrong. "Jack is an important part of the championship-caliber team we are building, and we look forward to having him back on our roster for the foreseeable future.” Utah Mammoth Sign Jack McBain To Five-Year Contract [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/ee0f39c5-d382-400c-afae-da2d2b458267.jpeg] Utah Mammoth Sign Jack McBain To Five-Year Contract Late last night, the Utah Mammoth announced that they have signed forward Jack McBain to a five-year, $21.25 million contract. The deal carries an average annual value of $4.25 million, which is around $1.25 million over his projected cap hit. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/utah/latest-news/utah-mammoth-sign-jack-mcbain-to-five-year-contract] Along with signing McBain, Armstrong trading for JJ Peterka, who is only 23 years old, keeps the Mammoth's core both young and talented — and even better, extended long term, assuming Armstrong inks Cooley to an extension before his contract expires after this season. In fact, there are a lot of new faces for this Utah Mammoth team: New Additions: JJ Peterka, Brandon Tanev, Nate Schmidt, Scott Perunovich, Vitek Vanecek Departures: Nick Bjugstad, Josh Doan, Michael Kesselring, Michael Carcone, Matias Macceli Now, with a new cast joining the team and some Utah favorites like Kesselring and Doan heading to the Sabres, let’s take a look at the current projection for the Utah Mammoth’s lines: OFFENSE: Apr 14, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Utah Hockey Club center Logan Cooley (92) celebrates a goal with his teammates against the Nashville Predators during the second period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/0a7a43d1-ff78-42c0-9e0b-fcafba239d89.jpeg] Apr 14, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Utah Hockey Club center Logan Cooley (92) celebrates a goal with his teammates against the Nashville Predators during the second period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images First Line: Clayton Keller, Logan Cooley, Dylan Guenther Second Line: Barrett Hayton, Nick Schmaltz, JJ Peterka Third Line: Lawson Crouse, Jack McBain, Brandon Tanev Fourth Line: Alexander Kerfoot, Kevin Stenlund, Liam O' Brien Considering the second line had a revolving door at right wing — with Maccelli, Carcone, and even Kailer Yamamoto all getting playing time at the spot — it’s very likely that Peterka will start the season on the second line. Peterka could very well play on the first line, depending on who head coach André Tourigny prefers between Guenther and Peterka, but as of now, it makes sense to keep the first line Utah ended with in the 2024–25 season. Meet The Newest Member Of The Utah Mammoth: J.J. Peterka [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/e725d6e9-66e4-4301-b6a5-6df706c9a615.jpeg] Meet The Newest Member Of The Utah Mammoth: J.J. Peterka The Utah Mammoth made a huge splash just before free agency when they acquired J.J. Peterka from the Buffalo Sabres. Peterka found himself in a ton of rumors leading up to the 2025 NHL Draft, and now he is a member of the Mammoth and is very excited for the opportunity. So, let's look at what he brings to the table. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/utah/latest-news/meet-the-newest-member-of-the-utah-mammoth-j-j-peterka] As for Tanev, the sole reason he was put on the third line over Kerfoot is because his physical play would pair rather nicely with both Crouse and McBain. “He’s got some bang in his game, and that’s what we love about him,” said general manager Bill Armstrong in a press conference Tuesday afternoon. “He’s got determination. He wants to make a difference physically. He can kill some penalties. He can play on your second, third line, he can get out there and give you some energy.” And with Kerfoot playing rather well on the fourth line toward the end of the season, it makes more sense to keep him in a similar role. Plus, Tourigny often called on Kerfoot to fill spots on other lines whenever Utah faced injury issues, so having Tanev fill what was Doan's role allows Kerfoot to move around when necessary. While the fourth line will look different now that Bjugstad is signing with the Blues, O'Brien is more than just a fan favorite — he brings a ton of energy with his fighting spirit and consistently played his role. Now that he’s likely to play more than 28 games, expect O'Brien to have much more production. DEFENSE: Jun 17, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Nate Schmidt (88) hoists the Stanley Cup after winning game six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/929cdf6d-132d-41ab-9639-0dd358a27a1b.jpeg] Jun 17, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Nate Schmidt (88) hoists the Stanley Cup after winning game six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images First Pair: Mikhail Sergachev, John Marino Second Pair: Sean Durzi, Olli Määttä Third Pair: Ian Cole, Nate Schmidt Utah's defense is set to look relatively the same, as it only lost one of its starting defensemen, Kesselring, in the trade to acquire Peterka. With only Kesselring's spot to fill, Armstrong signed Florida's Nate Schmidt to immediately take over the vacancy. So while the Mammoth will certainly miss a young prospect like Kesselring, having a veteran like Schmidt join the team after just winning the Stanley Cup will provide much-needed playoff experience for a young group hoping to make its first postseason appearance. Along with that, Utah has solid depth on defense thanks to the signing of Perunovich and the earlier addition of Nick DeSimone, who played relatively well for the Mammoth when called upon. It's impossible to predict whether Utah’s defense will deal with the same injury issues it faced for much of last season, but already having eight defensemen on the roster ready to play is a great sign for the Mammoth. GOALKEEPING: Mar 30, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Utah Hockey Club goaltender Karel Vejmelka (70) defends against the Chicago Blackhawks during the third period at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/5e6acb2a-a3e0-4ccb-9990-d4bde663a629.jpeg] Mar 30, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Utah Hockey Club goaltender Karel Vejmelka (70) defends against the Chicago Blackhawks during the third period at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images Starting Goalie: Karel Vejmelka Backup Goalies: Vitek Vanecek, Connor Ingram Vejmelka serving as the starting goalie was never in doubt for the Utah Mammoth, as his midseason extension showed the team’s confidence in his ability. However, with no updates on current backup goalie Ingram — due to his entry into the NHL's Player Assistance Program [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/utah/latest-news/report-utah-hcs-connor-ingram-enters-nhlnhlpa-player-assistance-program]— Utah needed someone it could rely on in case Ingram doesn’t return in time for the 2025–26 season. Signing Vanecek addressed any concerns Utah may have had at the goalie position, while also giving Ingram the chance to stay in the program for as long as he needs. Utah Mammoth Signs Vitek Vanecek To One-Year Contract [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/0173c669-671b-4d41-8585-2f5ddc303a81.jpeg] Utah Mammoth Signs Vitek Vanecek To One-Year Contract The Utah Mammoth have announced that they have signed backup goalie Vitek Vanecek to a one-year $1.5 million contract. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/utah/latest-news/utah-mammoth-signs-vitek-vanecek-to-one-year-contract] "With Vanecek signed for only one year and Ingram in line for an extension, Vanecek could serve as a good temporary solution until Ingram re-signs. But after going from San Jose’s starting goalie to Florida’s backup, Vanecek could use his time in Utah to reprove his own skill. Since Vanecek also won the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers, Utah adds even more playoff experience to its roster. But Utah Mammoth should feel good knowing that it won't have to worry about resting Vejmelka.
