Utah Mammoth Enter 2026-27 With a Core Built to Go Deeper

Utah finished 43-33-6 in just its second NHL season, made the playoffs, and kept nearly every piece of its young core intact this summer. The additions of Trocheck and Lee address real needs, and locking up John Marino on an eight-year extension signals genuine long-term thinking. The first-round exit stings, but the roster is better than it was in April.

Last season in review

The offence was the easy part. Clayton Keller posted 88 points, Nick Schmaltz added 74, and Dylan Guenther hit 40 goals. Utah scored 268 times, a respectable total that put them in the playoff conversation all season. The defence was solid enough, allowing 240 goals against, and Karel Vejmelka was steady at 38-20-3 with a .897 save percentage across 64 starts. The problem showed up in the post-season: Utah lost in the first round to Vegas, and Vejmelka allowed 14 goals combined in the final three games of that series. The backup situation, with Vitek Vanecek going 5-13-3, was a persistent weakness all year.

Ins and outs

• In: Vincent Trocheck (acquired via trade from the New York Rangers, July 1)
• In: Anders Lee (signed as a free agent, three years, $16.2M, July 1)
• In: Sebastian Cossa (acquired via trade from the Detroit Red Wings, June 26; signed two-year contract June 30)
• In: Andrew Peeke (signed as a free agent, one year, $1M, July 3)
• In: Zac Jones (signed as a free agent)
• In: Joshua Roy (signed)
• Out: JJ Peterka (traded to the Boston Bruins for a first-round pick in 2026 and a conditional first in 2028)
• Out: Sean Durzi (traded to the New York Rangers as part of the Trocheck deal)
• Out: Alex Kerfoot (signed with the Nashville Predators)
• Out: Ian Cole (signed with the Chicago Blackhawks)
• Out: Vitek Vanecek (signed with the New York Islanders)
• John Marino: signed to an eight-year, $54M extension (July 21)
• Barrett Hayton: offer sheet matched by Utah (July 8)

The big question

Can the goaltending hold up over a full season? Vejmelka is a capable starter, but the Vanecek experience showed how thin the depth is when he needs rest or hits a rough patch. Sebastian Cossa is one of the more intriguing goalie prospects in the league, going 26-8-4 with a 2.33 GAA in the AHL last season, but he has played exactly one NHL game. How quickly Cossa develops into a reliable backup will shape how far Utah can go.

X-factor

Logan Cooley missed 28 games in 2025-26 and still scored 24 goals. He is entering the first year of an eight-year, $80 million extension and, when healthy, he has the speed and skill to push into the conversation as one of the best young centres in the league. If he stays in the lineup, the Mammoth's top six becomes genuinely difficult to handle.

Bold prediction

Utah advances past the first round of the playoffs for the first time, with Trocheck's experience in tight playoff games proving to be the difference against a Central Division opponent.

The outlook

The Mammoth open at home against Chicago on Oct. 1, and they will also host the 2027 Winter Classic on New Year's Eve at Rice-Eccles Stadium against Colorado. The schedule alone gives this season a big-event feel. Utah has the core, the depth additions, and the contract structure to be a genuine contender. The ceiling is real. The floor depends almost entirely on goaltending and Cooley's health.