In their inaugural season, the Utah Hockey Club (now the Utah Mammoth) experienced immediate injury trouble — and almost all of the injuries affected their defensemen.
They were frequent waiver wire shoppers, where they picked up Dakota Mermis and Nick DeSimone. They also paid a third-round pick to snag Olli Määttä from the Detroit Red Wings. But the instability was enough to drop them a few more games than they might otherwise have won.
They needed just four more regulation wins to make the playoffs, so it’s easy to point to that stretch of time as a pivotal problem.
This summer, to prevent that issue from hurting them again, GM Bill Armstrong secured enough defensemen to create a second NHL unit — literally.
The Mammoth have 12 blue liners who were on NHL rosters at some point last year, plus the likes of Dmitri Simashev and Artem Duda, who could realistically play NHL games this season.
And, wouldn’t you know it, just about the second training camp started, the Mammoth were hit with a wave of injuries to forwards instead.
Head coach André Tourigny pointed out that all of the hospital bracelets are expected to come off eventually.
“They’re injured. They’re not dead,” he said.
But that doesn’t mean everyone is guaranteed to be ready when the puck drops on Oct. 9.
Alexander Kerfoot is designated as “week-to-week,” meaning he’s not particularly close to returning. Liam O’Brien skated in a non-contact jersey on Wednesday but left the ice before the action really started. On both Thursday and Friday, he was a full participant in practice. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him back in action by the time the season kicks off.
Logan Cooley and Jack McBain have both been out of commission since the split-squad games in Denver; Barrett Hayton took his second “maintenance day” of the camp on Friday; JJ Peterka also missed Friday’s practice for maintenance reasons.
And, as Tourigny pointed out, “They don’t have maintenance because everything’s going well.”
So, if there are spots to be filled when the regular season rolls around, who should get them? Tourigny mentioned that he’s not necessarily looking for the best players available, but rather those who can fill the roles the injured parties leave.
For example, if Kerfoot remains out, the Mammoth will need a penalty killer to step up. If McBain isn’t available to start the season, they might look for someone with a physical presence.
It’s also worth noting that it was only because of last year’s injuries that Michael Kesselring was able to break out the way he did. One man’s injury is another man’s opportunity — and maybe this is what it will take for someone to take a step in their development.
Here are a few guys who have at least earned the right to be considered, if nothing else.
Which depth forwards could make the Utah Mammoth roster?
The vets: Michael Carcone and Kailer Yamamoto
It seems like a guarantee that Michael Carcone and Kailer Yamamoto will make the team out of camp.
Even if Kerfoot, O’Brien and all the “maintenance” guys return before the season starts, there are still two healthy scratch spots that will likely go to forwards, and unless management thinks it’s best for a rookie to make the team, Carcone and Yamamoto should be the guys they turn to.
Both guys are undersized. That leads them to play like they have something to prove — whether their roster spots are guaranteed or not. They’re versatile enough to use in a number of situations, which makes them valuable players to have around.
The rookies: Cole Beaudoin, Tij Iginla and Daniil But
At last year’s training camp, Cole Beaudoin turned so many heads that there was talk of him making the team as an 18-year-old. He ended up going back to the OHL, where he had a productive season. He also played for Team Canada at the World Juniors.
He hasn’t had the same “wow factor” this time around. He did come into camp much bigger and stronger than before, but his fine skills don’t seem as refined as they need to be. It almost seems like he spent his whole summer in the gym, rather than on the ice.
Tij Iginla is the opposite of Beaudoin. His shooting, stick handling and vision are already at an NHL level, but he’s too small to make the impact he’d like. If you could put Iginla in Beaudoin’s body, you’d have an NHL-ready player — but in reality, it’s not very likely that either one is quite there yet.
Management would love for But to be good enough to make the team. While he didn’t have the best start to camp, he’s looked better with each practice and every game. He even seems more comfortable speaking English.
“You can see this guy had been coached before,” Tourigny said of But, whose father, Anton But, is an assistant coach with Yaroslavl Lokomotiv in the KHL — the team that But and Simashev helped win the championship last spring.
“I did some video with him and he (already had) a good idea of what was right, what was wrong, and his questions were real questions. I was not talking to a kid who was confused.”
That being said, the NHL is not a development league. Placing But in the lineup too early could be detrimental to his development, as has been the case with many elite prospects before him. For his own sake, letting him grow in the AHL would probably be best.
The AHLers: Cameron Hebig, Ben McCartney and Andrew Agozzino
Prior to the start of camp, I asked Tucson Roadrunners GM John Ferguson who he thought could turn heads. These are some of the guys he mentioned, and they’ve all shown why at camp.
Cameron Hebig placed second on the Roadrunners in scoring last year. He’s a true work horse, and although I haven’t personally spent time with him, I’ve heard wonderful things about him as a person.
Ben McCartney has, at times, shown the type of fire that bottom-six NHL players need to have. He’s also skilled enough to probably contribute the odd point here and there.
Andrew Agozzino has been playing pro hockey since some of these young guys were in diapers. He has had plenty of NHL call-ups, but he has never done quite enough to stay there. His last stint in the big league came with the San Jose Sharks in 2022-23, where he tallied three points in four games. He’s getting to the twilight era of his career, but another NHL shot is not out of the question.
The long shots: Gabe Smith and Curtis Douglas
Gabe Smith and Curtis Douglas have both shown how physical they can be. It’s probably not enough for either of them to make the team right away, but they’ve certainly gotten some good attention, which could help them stand out the next time around.
“I’m just trying to show I can play with these guys,” Smith said when asked what he’s doing to make the team.
Could free agency help the Mammoth’s forward depth?
The regular season is less than two weeks away and there are still some good unrestricted free agents remaining. If the Mammoth want to give young guys NHL playing time, this is the wrong route to take. But if they want to shelter those guys, it’s a great option.
Jack Roslovic is by far the best UFA available. He scored 22 goals last year for a very good Carolina Hurricanes team, and there’s no reason he couldn’t do the same for the Mammoth.
They could also go after Salt Lake City native Trevor Lewis or someone currently on a PTO with another team, like Tyler Motte or Robby Fabbri.
The trade market is also a viable solution, as is the waiver wire.