For the NHL, the offseason marks a time of rebuilding and revamping rosters.
One trade or signing can forever change a franchise. For example, Jonathan Huberdeau in exchange for Matthew Tkachuk helped the Florida Panthers win a cup.
Only one other event holds the same power as free agency: the draft. Last year, Lady Luck showed some kindness to the Utah Mammoth. Utah moved up multiple spots in the lottery to draft Caleb Desnoyers with the fourth overall pick.
This event marked the start of a special year for the Mammoth. Players like Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther took major steps in their game. Utah even made the playoffs for the first time. However, this year’s draft became a peculiar spectacle to Mammoth fans.
He Fell How Far?
In a draft full of trades, the Mammoth pulled an unexpected move and joined in on the craze to move up in the draft. At pick 17, the Mammoth drafted winger Ethan Belchetz.
Scouts projected Belchetz to get drafted in the nine to 13 range, but he ended up falling to the 17th pick. With such a talent falling towards their position, general manager Bill Armstrong leapt at the opportunity to pick him.
Standing at 6-foot-5-inches with the physicality of a bull on the ice made Belchetz an attractive pick. He ended his recent OHL season with 34 goals and 25 assists, totaling 59 points. The winger also recently committed to Michigan State. There he will continue to hone his skills for the next few years.
Who Else was Picked?
In the later rounds, Utah picked up a few players. Adam Valentini, Carl Axelsson, Theodor Knights, Florent Houle and Artyom Prima. Scouts describe Valentini as a versatile sharpshooter who can potentially become an NHL first-line center. Axelsson adds much-needed goalie depth to a short pool of prospects.
Cossa’s Arrival
Weeks after the rumors linking Sebastian Cossa to the Mammoth popped up, Utah finally pulled the trigger and traded for the high-upside prospect. With only one NHL appearance to his name, the 2021 first-round pick got lost in the Detroit Red Wings prospect pool. After sitting behind John Gibson and Cam Talbot, some thought the Red Wings didn’t feel that Cossa fit with their team in the short term.
Now that he’s in a new home, Mammoth fans can get excited about the goalkeeper’s potential. In the last two years in the AHL, Cossa has played 80 games, allowing 188 goals off of 1982 shots.
He’s done all this on an incredible 0.913 save percentage. To add to his accolades, Cossa is also a two-time AHL All-Star and AHL goalie of the month. If he develops quickly, he’ll be more than a valuable backup to Karel Vejmelka.
Goodbye Peterka
The trade of JJ Peterka became the biggest surprise that came out of draft day. Though Peterka’s relationship with fans and the coaching staff grew shaky at times, the Mammoth front office seemed fine bringing him back.
“I think it takes time, I don’t think some transitions are as easy as others,” said Armstrong in his exit interviews at the end of this season. “I like him, I think his skill set is really good… so I’m pretty sure he’s going to be hungry skating all summer.”
Apparently, Armstrong’s sentiments didn’t stick, as the Mammoth proceeded to trade Peterka to the Boston Bruins on draft day for two first-round picks. When asked about why he dealt the forward to Boston, Armstrong replied with these remarks.
“We’ve got some really good, young players coming, and I felt like we had to create a little bit of room for them in some areas and some offensive situations,” explained Armstrong.
Youth Movement in Effect
The two trades and the draft showed that the Mammoth front office is fine to lean into their youth. While players like Cooley and Guenther have taken major steps in their development, the team now runs a major risk. Inexperience killed them in the playoffs. In a way, it’s foolish for the front office to think a player like Tij Iginla will come in and fix their playoff problems.
On top of that, their main core has only played one year in the playoffs, while other teams have solid veteran players to help their young guys succeed. The Mammoth should at least look into trading for another established player to come and help this group. That said, free agency still awaits, and the Mammoth most likely will make another deal before the season.
Plus, if Iginla’s skills can translate to the pros, he will be a force in the league. The Mammoth can only hope this push for youth doesn’t set them back.
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