Most analysts agree that the Utah Mammoth have one of the best prospect pools in the NHL. The Athletic Hockey Show, for one, had them third, behind only the San Jose Sharks and the Chicago Blackhawks, who have each picked in the top four three drafts in a row.
So, why did the “third-best” group of prospects come in third place at the Rookie Showcase against teams with relatively shallow pools? Here are a few explanations.
Why did the Utah Mammoth lose so badly at the Rookie Showcase?
Not everyone belongs to these teams
Teams don’t typically have enough prospects to fill an entire rookie camp, especially because anyone playing in the NCAA or Europe is unavailable.
To fill their rosters, they invite a number of undrafted players to show what they’ve got. That was the case for Utah’s goaltenders, who looked shaky at best against the Vegas Golden Knights in an 8-1 loss Saturday.
Offseason rust
Most of these guys haven’t played a full game since April. It can take a few games to adjust back to the pace of high-level hockey.
Lack of systems
Many of these guys had never met each other until a few days ago. Those who did know each other previously haven’t necessarily played together, so pretty much everything is still new.
The coaches will often implement basic systems in these camps so the players have some type of structure to follow, but they’re not losing sleep over what type of forecheck they need to employ.
Not having exact systems in place can cause confusion as to who should be where at any given time — and you could see that in a number of the goals Utah allowed.
Rookie camp is about individuals
There’s no trophy for the winning team at this rookie showcase or any of the others around the league. These camps are about the development and evaluation of individuals rather than the team as a whole.
It’s not to say that these guys aren’t competitive and don’t want to win — that’s not the case at all. But for some of these top prospects, a rookie camp will neither make nor break their NHL careers, so perhaps they aren’t putting everything on the line the way they would in a more meaningful setting.
“In these types of events, players are trying to do the best they can to make an impression,” said Steve Potvin, head coach of the Tucson Roadrunners and coach of the Mammoth at this rookie tournament.
“A lot of times, the best impression you can make is by playing simple and just doing things for the moment and for the team. We’re looking for players to be the best versions of themselves.”
Which Utah Mammoth prospects impressed at the Rookie Showcase?
Artem Duda
Immigration issues prevented Artem Duda from playing in North America when the team first brought him over, so his entire 2023-24 season consisted of just 12 games at the unimportant U-Sports level. When he showed up in Tucson the next year, then, he wasn’t as highly anticipated as some of his peers.
He didn’t let that get him down, though, and he managed close to half a point per game as a rookie defenseman.
Throughout rookie camp, he showed that he’s not one to be overlooked. He showed defensive intelligence and offensive capability. During both games, the coaching staff entrusted him with big minutes and gave him chances on all special teams.
The Mammoth are extremely deep on defense this year, but don’t count Duda out for a call-up when injuries inevitably strike.
Dmitri Simashev
This one shouldn’t be a surprise.
Dmitri Simashev’s hockey IQ is off the charts, and he showed it all camp long. He’s one of those guys who’s never out of position, which makes everything look easy for him.
Again, the Mammoth don’t exactly have roster spots to give out on defense, but if anyone has a chance at ripping one out of someone else’s hands, it’s Simashev.
Tij Iginla
There was good and bad in Tij Iginla’s two games. When he had the puck it was clear why he was a top pick in the NHL draft, but he wasn’t as good without the puck.
Iginla is listed at 6 feet and 195 pounds, which, with the way the league is trending, is almost considered small. He couldn’t seem to win puck battles and he got pushed around far too easily. He’s also not as quick as some of the league’s best small guys.
To be fair, Iginla has missed more time recently than most (these were his first two games of 2025). He’s also still figuring out his limits after getting two major surgeries.
He scored the Mammoth’s lone goal in their big loss to the Golden Knights, meaning he’s the first — and so far, only — player to score a goal in the new Mammoth home jerseys. His shot is already elite, and he showed that with that goal.
He’s also a much better stickhandler than he gets credit for. He idolizes Nathan MacKinnon, and if he can combine his stickhandling with a bit more speed, he could become that type of player.
Who needed to do better?
Final calls on players’ ceilings should never be made based on rookie camp alone, but there were a few underwhelming Mammoth players this week.
Maveric Lamoureux
Maveric Lamoureux showed last season that he’s capable of playing in the NHL — even if he’s not perfect yet. But in rookie camp, he looked much less confident than before.
The 6-foot-6 defenseman was at fault for too many scoring chances against in both games. His number was not called for many big moments in either game, likely because he didn’t show that he deserved it.
“He’s one of the guys that needs to simplify his game,” Potvin said. “He’s got a long stick and he’s difficult to play against. He’s got good offensive capability, but he’s one of those guys that just needs to simplify his game.”
Daniil But
A KHL champion should be able to step in and dominate in a lower-level tournament like this, but Daniil But didn’t do that.
It was Mammoth fans’ first time seeing him in North American game action outside of intra-squad matchups. He’s noticeable because of his monstrous frame, but his play didn’t stand out in any meaningful way.
He did have one solid wraparound attempt early against the Golden Knights, but outside of that, his scoring chances were slim. I’ve said before that he’s quite raw, and this tournament showed that yet again.
He’ll get more chances to prove himself during main camp and the preseason, but it seems unlikely that he starts the year anywhere but the AHL.