The Utah Mammoth have acquired 23-year-old winger JJ Peterka from the Buffalo Sabres.
Multiple outlets reported the move Wednesday night, and the Mammoth officially announced it a short time later.
The cost? Josh Doan and Michael Kesselring.
Peterka was set to become a restricted free agent July 1, but Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported that the trade includes a contract extension worth $7.7 million annually over five years — a slightly higher AAV than Dylan Guenther’s new contract but two years less.
The Mammoth formally announced those terms of the deal.
Peterka, who hails from Munich, Germany, is an undersized but highly skilled addition to the Mammoth. His stickhandling and vision are top-tier, which contributed to his 27 goals and 68 points in 77 games last season.
Utah struggled to find a permanent fit for the second-line right wing spot last year, which is likely where Peterka will slot in. He was also a mainstay on the Sabres’ first power play unit — another area wherein Utah could have used another capable body last season.
What this doesn’t solve is the relatively small size of Utah’s top six forwards. Peterka is listed at 6 feet, but that number is probably optimistic.
Why did the Buffalo Sabres trade JJ Peterka?
Peterka has been the center of many a trade rumor recently. It’s not that the Sabres don’t want him, but rather that he wanted out of Buffalo — an organization that has struggled for years to keep its best players.
Several of the NHL’s top players underperformed as Sabres and broke out in other markets. The list includes:
- Sam Reinhart
- Jack Eichel
- Brandon Hagel
- Brandon Montour
- Linus Ullmark
- Jake McCabe
- Ryan O’Reilly
It’s long been reported that Peterka was among team owner Terry Pegula’s favorite players.
Sabres fans are generally underwhelmed with the return — especially when they consider the reported alternative offers on the table, which included Noah Dobson, Jordan Kyrou and Marco Rossi, among others.
Why did the Mammoth trade Josh Doan and Michael Kesselring?
Doan, 23, and Kesselring, 25, are both still developing as players, so it’s hard to know what they’ll turn out to be.
After a hot start to his NHL career in the last 11 games of the Arizona Coyotes’ existence, many expected Doan to become a bona fide top scorer in the NHL.
The 2024-25 season wasn’t quite as hot for him, which caused him to spend some time in the AHL.
When he returned, he adopted a crash-and-bang role on Utah’s third line alongside Lawson Crouse and Jack McBain. Doan’s potential is still largely to be determined.
When long-term injuries struck right-handed defensemen John Marino and Sean Durzi early in the season, Kesselring stepped up and filled a first-pairing role — a big feat for a player in his first full NHL season.
He played well, especially on the offensive side of the puck, but head coach André Tourigny wasn’t always a fan of his defensive decisions.
The 6-foot-4 defenseman has a high ceiling. His tendencies are similar to those of Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard.
Doan and Kesselring should be glad to be heading to the same team. The two lived together in Utah, sat near each other in the locker room and were always goofing off together — both on and off camera.
On Thursday morning’s edition of the Daily Faceoff podcast, Seravalli had high praise for Utah’s front office regarding the deal.
“What’s to not like about this fit for (the) Utah Mammoth?” he asked. “I mean, you take an already young core that’s exciting, dynamic and has speed, and you inject a 23-year-old first-line winger who is your goal-scoring winger that you’ve been on a quest to find, that, oh, by the way, has basically touched 30 goals twice and is a 70-point player as a 23-year-old.”