Fights are common in preseason NHL games, but they usually come from fringe players trying to show their coaches that they can provide value to their team.
That wasn’t the case in the Utah Mammoth’s bout with the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena Tuesday evening. If you didn’t know any better, you may have thought it was the third game of a playoff series from how much the guys seemed to despise each other.
There was more than a normal amount of pushing and shoving after whistles, a number of big hits, two formal fights and another that didn’t escalate far enough to get fighting majors. In all, the teams combined for 54 penalty minutes.
Andrew Peeke, in his Mammoth preseason debut, was at the heart of it all night long. He chucked knuckles for what HockeyFights.com says was just the fourth time in his NHL career.
“Really liked the game of (Peeke),” said Mammoth head coach André Tourigny after the contest. “He got under their skin, he was physical. There was a lot to like.”
Utah earned its first win of the preseason with a 6-3 final score. It wasn’t unlike the Mammoth’s loss in Colorado on Sunday in the sense that one team brought much more NHL experience than the other, the difference being that Utah had the clear upper hand this time around.
For that reason, don’t read too much into the stats. Instead, focus on what individuals did well and where they can improve. In this instance, Daniil But is the entire story.
Daniil But deserves a roster spot
Whatever it was that wiped mammoths off the planet thousands of years ago, the same thing seems to have hit power forwards. They’re a dying breed in the NHL.
Daniil But seems to be reviving the population.
It’s what Mammoth general manager Bill Armstrong and company saw in him when they used the No. 12 pick in the 2023 draft to snag the 6-foot-5 behemoth. They want him to develop into a strong, skilled winger who can carry the puck to the front of the net at will, make big hits, win battles and be immovable in front of the net.
Despite recording more scoring chances per minute than anyone else on the team last season, But struggled to make a real impact at the NHL level.
Whatever hindered him last year seems to be gone now. He scored a goal and an assist and was on the ice for Utah’s first four goals Tuesday.
But opened the scoring in the game, deflecting a puck past Darcy Kuemper on the power play — something that will make him a lot of money in the league if he can do it consistently. His most impressive play, though, was an assist on Anders Lee’s goal in the second period.
He streaked down the left wing and got past the back-checking Kings forward. That forced the defenseman (Cody Ceci, a seasoned veteran) to leave his post and cover But, leaving Lee open for a perfect pass in the slot.
It shared similarities with the goal the big Russian scored against the Vegas Golden Knights at the rookie tournament earlier this month: He got past his man and cut to the front of the net to tuck it five-hole.
There’s obviously a major difference between a rookie tournament, the preseason and actual NHL games. It remains to be seen if But will be able to consistently play that way in the regular season, but it’s clear that he deserves a chance to prove himself.
His English is still a work in progress, but in his brief postgame interview, he delivered a clear message.
“(I feel) way more comfortable with every game,” he said.
Tourigny agreed.
“I think (But) had a good night,” he said. “Simpler, more direct, did a good job with those guys. Went at the net, that kind of thing.”
But’s surge couldn’t come at a better time for the Mammoth.
His contract includes a European assignment clause. When he signed the deal, Armstrong said it kicks in about halfway through the 2026-27 season. That means that if the Mammoth choose not to keep But in the NHL, he has the option to go back to his KHL team rather than reporting to the AHL.
The flight from Yaroslavl, Russia to Salt Lake City is much longer than the one from Tucson, Arizona. Once But steps on that plane, it’s unlikely you see him again until next season, so the Mammoth need him to show that he can play in the NHL as soon as possible.
Maveric Lamoureux: Re-injured?
Remember the big hits we mentioned in the intro? Maveric Lamoureux was on the receiving end of one of them, and it did not look good.
The 22-year-old has already had injuries on both shoulders, so it was particularly alarming to see him slouched over, clutching his right arm as he slowly made his way to the bench.
As of the time of writing, the Mammoth have not released any details on his status.
