Mammoth News & Rumors: Szuber Trade, Coaching News, & More – The Hockey Writers –

We are now less than 24 hours away from the beginning of free agency and a couple of days away from the conclusion of the Utah Mammoth’s third development camp. Once those two events end, summer is officially in full swing as we wait for September to roll around. Before development camp started, Mammoth fans got the feeling once again of weeks with a lack of hockey and news. 

However, there has been some significant news over the past few weeks, culminating in a busy Monday. Here are all the news and rumors surrounding the Mammoth that you might’ve missed.

Max Szuber Is Off to Montreal

Right before the Mammoth’s prospects took the ice on Monday for development camp, the team made a minor trade. They traded Max Szuber to the Montreal Canadiens for Joshua Roy. At the time, both players were pending restricted free agents (RFAs). Roy was quickly signed to a one-year, two-way contract worth $850 thousand. Szuber was issued a qualifying offer by the Canadiens.

Roy spent most of last season with the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Laval Rocket, putting up 45 points in 57 games, finishing fourth on the team in points. 23 of those points were goals. Roy played five playoff games with the Rocket, scoring two goals. The forward also played three games with the Canadiens last season, not registering a point.

In total, Roy has played 38 NHL games in his career, producing 11 points. He’s also tallied 112 points in 145 AHL games. He was originally drafted by the Canadiens in the fifth round in 2021. Roy will reunite with Team Canada teammates Dylan Guenther and Sebastian Cossa, with whom he won two gold medals at the 2022 and 2023 World Juniors.

Szuber played last season in the AHL with the Tucson Roadrunners, putting up 27 points in 65 games. His 11 goals were a career high for the defenseman. He’s played one NHL game in his career thus far, back in 2023-24 with the Arizona Coyotes. He’s a solid player, having caught the eye of the German Olympic team last season.

The Mammoth and the Roadrunners were stacked on the blueline this past season. So much so, Dmitri Simashev and Maveric Lamoureux played a majority of their season in the AHL. Szuber arguably deserved an NHL call-up this past season with his solid play, even with the Roadrunners having to suffer through numerous injuries. However, with the crowded blueline, no way that was going to happen.

If Szuber had stayed in the Mammoth organization this season, the situation would’ve probably been the same. Artem Duda will be healthy as well, putting another body in front of him on the depth chart. Going to the Canadiens and the Rocket will give him a new chance to crack an NHL lineup again.

It’s a good trade for both teams. With quite a few forwards expected to depart the Roadrunners, bringing in Roy will help make sure the team keeps getting some reliable offense. Meanwhile, Szuber gets a chance elsewhere to crack an NHL roster, a place where the blueline isn’t as deep. He’ll also be with a more competitive AHL team, with the Rocket expected to compete for the Calder Cup each season. It’s sad to see Szuber leave. He was always a great player to talk to. Ultimately, though, this is a great trade for his development.

Newest Signings and Extensions

Monday, especially, was a busy day for the Mammoth in terms of extensions and contracts. Over the course of a couple of hours, the team signed three players to extensions and elected to take another player to arbitration.

Roy, as mentioned, was signed to a one-year, two-way deal. It’s a typical deal to see for a player like him. Expect Roy to spend most of next season with the Roadrunners, with perhaps a call-up or two.

Kailer Yamamoto was resigned to a two-year contract with an annual average value (AAV) of $1.75 million. It’s good to see the forward get rewarded for a solid season (23 points in 59 games) and after two years of prove-it deals. Yamamoto was arguably one of the Mammoth’s best forwards during the playoffs last season (five points in six games) and down the stretch when he was placed on a line with Dylan Guenther and Logan Cooley.

It’s a very similar contract to Michael Carcone’s new extension, which is a fair comparison. Both players had good seasons after signing prove-it contracts. If the Mammoth want to move on within the next two seasons as well, it will be an easy contract to move out.

“Kailer is a versatile forward that wins battles and can produce offense for us,” said general manager Bill Armstrong. “Kailer is important to our team, and we are thrilled that he will return to the Mammoth.”

Three hours after Yamamoto’s deal was announced, the Mammoth also resigned Nick DeSimone to a two-year deal. The defenseman’s deal carries an AAV of $1 million. DeSimone played 40 games last season, producing eight points in that span. While he didn’t play a whole season, he was great in his role as a seventh defenseman.

It’s another reward for a player who signed a short-term contract last season and has proven valuable in a minor role for the Mammoth. If for whatever reason the Mammoth want to move on, it’s another contract that can easily be picked up by another team via trade or even waivers.

“Nick has added important depth on our blue line and plays a simple, consistent game,” said Armstrong. “He skates well, moves the puck effectively, and is the consummate professional.”

On Tuesday, newly acquired Cossa was signed to a two-year deal with a $2 million AAV. It’s another low-risk contract for the Mammoth. Besides one game back in 2024, we don’t really know how Cossa will play in the NHL, which he will do as of right now, backing up Karel Vejmelka. If he doesn’t play well, it won’t be hard for the Mammoth to trade this contract. If he does, a bigger contract will be awarded later down the line.

The deadline to qualify RFAs is also upon us. The Mammoth did offer qualifying offers to Barrett Hayton, and obviously Roy and Cossa, meaning Michal Kunc and Anson Thornton will become free agents. We already knew Kunc was not going to return to the Roadrunners after signing a two-year deal with HC Kometa Brno following the conclusion of the season. Thornton not returning isn’t surprising either after playing only two periods of hockey with the Utah Grizzlies before sustaining another season-ending injury.

The bigger news came when it was announced that the Mammoth will be taking Hayton to arbitration. What that means is that the team has asked a third party to decide the forward’s contract. The Mammoth and Hayton’s party will present their arguments, culminating in the arbitrator’s decision.

Because it’s the team requesting arbitration, Hayton can still be offer sheeted. However, once the contract is decided on by the arbitrator, the Mammoth have to sign him to that contract. They cannot simply let him walk to unrestricted free agency.

While arbitration can sometimes end in a messy relationship between player and team, it’s not something to be overly stressed about. Most cases get resolved before the two sides even make it to a hearing. Last season, no arbitration cases made it to an arbitrator. It wouldn’t be surprising if Hayton and the Mammoth reach an agreement in the next couple of weeks.

Outside of the big names, the Mammoth did sign three players to entry-level deals over the past couple of weeks. Yegor Borikov and Gregor Biber were signed to three-year deals, while Vadim Moroz was signed to a two-year deal. All of these guys will likely be with the Roadrunners next season.

News From the Bench

Players weren’t the only Mammoth personnel getting extensions over the past couple of weeks. After making the postseason for the first time in his career, head coach André Tourigny received a multi-year extension. Assistant coach Blaine Forsythe also received a new multi-year extension.

“André and Blaine have both been instrumental in building the foundation for our organization and will be critical in our continued success and leadership moving forward,” said Armstrong. “André is an excellent leader, communicator, and person who is extremely well respected by our players and our staff. Blaine’s an experienced, knowledgeable, and Stanley Cup-winning coach who has a strong body of work running the power play.”

Adam Foote was also added to the Mammoth’s bench as an assistant coach. Most recently, Foote was the head coach for the Vancouver Canucks, leading them to a 25-49-8 record last season. 

“We are also thrilled to have Adam, a two-time Stanley Cup champion and 2002 Olympic gold medalist, right here in Salt Lake, join the organization and bring a fresh perspective to our room backed by years of experience as both a player and coach,” Armstrong said. “This is another exciting day for the organization.” 

Mario Duhamel, who is still under contract with the team, will be used in a new role next season. Foote will take his spot on the bench. Duhamel was a video coach once upon a time with the Colorado Avalanche, so he may end up in a similar scenario.

The Mammoth weren’t the only ones with changes on their bench. Roadrunners assistant coach Zack Stortini has been hired as the first coach of the New Mexico Goatheads, leaving the AHL team after four seasons. Stortini helped the Roadrunners make the playoffs three of those four seasons. No replacement for the team’s assistant coach has been announced yet.

Former Mammoth Updates

With free agency looming, many former Mammoth players will be on the move in the coming weeks. Vladislav Kolyachonok is one of those players after not getting a qualifying offer from the Dallas Stars. The defenseman spent last season bouncing between the NHL and the AHL, playing 11 games with the Stars. He was claimed off waivers by the Boston Bruins at one point, playing two games before ultimately being picked up off waivers again and returning to Dallas. Kolyachonok played 23 games with Utah during the 2023-24 season.

It appeared that Juuso Välimäki was also going to be on the move, signing a two-year deal with Brynäs IF. After playing 43 games with Utah during the 2023-24 season, Välimäki played three games with the Roadrunners this season before being traded to the Carolina Hurricanes. The defenseman spent most of last season with the Chicago Wolves, helping them get all the way to the Calder Cup final before falling in five games to the Toronto Marlies.

However, hours after signing the deal with Brynäs, Välimäki signed a one-year, one-way contract to remain with the Hurricanes. It’s unclear why Välimäki opted to forgo his contract overseas, but it seems like he’ll be back in the NHL next season, perhaps as the Hurricanes’ seventh defenseman.

Michael Kesselring also won’t hit free agency come Wednesday. The defenseman was traded to the San Jose Sharks by the Buffalo Sabres right before the draft and was signed to a three-year contract by his new team. Kesselring played all 82 games with Utah during the 2023-24 season and was part of the trade that brought JJ Peterka to the Mammoth.

One former Mammoth who won’t be on the move is Dakota Mermis, who played a single game with Utah in 2023-24 before being claimed off waivers by the Toronto Maple Leafs. He is now a Calder Cup champion, winning with the Marlies this past season. He has one more year under contract and will likely remain with the Marlies in hopes of winning back-to-back championships.

Matias Maccelli, who also spent last season in the Leafs organization, will be on the move this summer. The forward was not given a qualifying offer by the Leafs, making him an unrestricted free agent (UFA). Maccelli originally played 55 games with Utah during the 2023-24 season.

Finally, one other former Mammoth player is set to head to the open market come Wednesday. Connor Ingram, who played 22 games in 2023-24, was not extended by the Edmonton Oilers. Additionally, at this time, Ian Cole, Alex Kerfoot, Matt Villalta, Kevin Rooney, Kevin Stenlund, and Vítek Vaněček have not been extended by the Mammoth and are all set to be free agents on Wednesday.

Wake Me Up When September Is Here

The final piece of Mammoth news gives us a sense of how the new season will start. The Mammoth announced their preseason schedule for the upcoming season. The team will play the first three games on the road (Sept. 20 @ Colorado, Sept. 22 @ Los Angeles, and Sept. 24 @ Vegas) and finish the preseason at home on Sept. 26 vs the Avalanche. That game will be the first game at the remodeled Delta Center.

While it hasn’t officially been announced, it sounds like the Mammoth will participate in a six-team rookie faceoff tournament that will be hosted in San Jose. The team will play at least three games, including one against the Kings. It sounds like the tournament will take place from Sept. 12-15. The other four teams that will participate include the Avalanche, Sharks, Anaheim Ducks, and Vegas Golden Knights. Last season, the Mammoth participated in the three-team rookie faceoff tournament that the Avalanche hosted.

From those dates, we can assume rookie camp will open up around Sept. 10, with the main training camp opening up around Sept. 18. Those are similar dates from last season, with the catch being the preseason has been shortened from six to four. Because of that, the NHL season is expected to start in late September.