Day 2 of the NHL draft Saturday saw six new Mammoth join Utah’s herd.
Drafted players — including fourth-overall pick Caleb Desnoyers, will be invited to join the Mammoth’s development camp in Park City, which begins on Sunday.
Practice sessions on Monday and Tuesday will be open to the public. They run from 9:45-11:45 a.m. and 12:15-2:15 p.m. both days.
Here’s a rundown of each player picked by Utah on Saturday:
Round 2, pick 46: Max Pšenička
- Country: Czechia
- Position: Defense
- Shoots: Right
- Height: 6-foot-5
- Weight: 185 lbs.
- 2024-25 team: Portland Winterhawks (WHL) & HC Plzeň (Extraliga)
- 2024-25 production (all leagues combined): 6G, 14A, 20P, 60 GP
The Mammoth typically use the bulk of their second-day picks on big, strong players. Pšenička fits that bill. He’s not the most gifted offensive player, but he told the media after being drafted that offense will be a particular focus of his next season.
“I’m so happy with Utah,” Pšenička said. “It’s a new team, so a lot of new players, new team, really good people there.”
The Mammoth were equally thrilled to get Pšenička.
“We loved his size. We liked he’s a right-hand defenseman. We like that he’s an athlete. I think that’s what we’re always hunting for,” said director of amateur scouting Darryl Plandowski.
Round 3, pick 78: Štěpán Hoch
- Country: Czechia
- Position: Center/Left wing
- Shoots: Left
- Height: 6-foot-4
- Weight: 192 lbs.
- 2024-25 team: HC Motor České Budějovice (Extraliga and Czech U20) & HC Stadion Litomerice (Czech second league)
- 2024-25 production (all leagues combined): 14G, 20A, 34P, 55 GP
Hoch is a big forward who plays both center and wing.
After talking to Utah’s two directors of amateur scouting, it seems that they fully expected him to be available with this pick, but they wanted him badly enough that they couldn’t wait for a subsequent round to get him.
Round 4, pick 110: Yegor Borikov
- Country: Belarus
- Position: Left wing/Right wing
- Shoots: Left
- Height: 6-foot-0
- Weight: 181 lbs.
- 2024-25 team: Dinamo Minsk (KHL)
- 2024-25 production: 12G, 13A, 25P, 67GP
Young KHL players don’t typically get much playing time, which often impacts their stats in a negative way.
With that in mind, it’s impressive that Borikov managed close to half a point per game. Oh, and he did that in arguably the second-best hockey league in the world.
Round 5, pick 142: Ivan Tkach-Tkachenko
- Country: Russia
- Position: Goalie
- Catches: Left
- Height: 6-foot-3
- Weight: 185 lbs.
- 2024-25 team: Tolpar Ufa (MHL)
- 2024-25 production (all leagues combined): 2.99GAA, .908SV%, 40GP
Scouting goaltenders is much different than scouting other players — but you have to draft them periodically to keep your cupboards stocked.
The Mammoth didn’t take one in 2024, so there was a need for someone like Tkach-Tkachenko.
“He’s very raw, but there’s a lot of athleticism, he’s got a lot of passion,” said associate director of amateur scouting Ryan Jankowski.
“He’s a great young man. It’s just going to take some time for him to develop, but we feel he has the right mentality, the right mindset, the right attributes to develop into a goalie, potentially, down the road for us. Goaltenders are tricky because it takes them a long time (to develop) — a lot longer than the normal player — and they also go very fast on the board on draft day."
Round 6, pick 174: Ludvig Johnson
- Country: Switzerland & Sweden
- Position: Defense
- Shoots: Left
- Height: 6-foot-0
- Weight: 181 lbs.
- 2024-25 team: EV Zug (Swiss National League) & EV Zug (U20-Elit)
- 2024-25 production (all leagues combined): 8G, 19A, 27P, 45GP
Johnson is a dynamic offensive presence who can quarterback a power play with the best of ‘em.
Some experts say his defensive game needs work, which is likely why he didn’t get taken until the sixth round, but that can be learned — unlike offense.
Round 6, pick 182: Reko Alanko
- Country: Finland
- Position: Defense
- Shoots: Right
- Height: 6-foot-5
- Weight: 201 lbs.
- 2024-25 team: Jokerit U18 & Jokerit U20 (SM Sarja)
- 2024-25 production (all leagues combined): 4G, 11A, 15P, 46GP
The Mammoth swapped their 2026 sixth-round pick with the Nashville Predators to select Alanko, a big Finnish defenseman with good offensive upside.
According to the Elite Prospects draft guide, he’s a capable puck-moving defenseman — something that’s hard to get anywhere but through the draft.