Top prospects for Utah Mammoth

NHL.com is providing in-depth prospect analysis for each of its 32 teams from Aug. 1-Sept. 1. Today, the top five prospects for the Utah Mammoth, according to NHL.com.

1. Tij Iginla, F

How acquired: Selected with No. 6 pick in 2024 NHL Draft

2025-26 season: Kelowna (WHL): 48 GP, 41-49-90

Iginla (6-foot, 182 pounds), the son of Hockey Hall of Fame forward Jarome Iginla, is coming off his first full season without an injury. He returned last season from double hip surgery that ended his 2024-25 season after 21 games.

"It was great to be back for a full season and healthy," Iginla said. "You never want to go through that stuff, but hopefully, I have most of it behind me."

Knowing he could debut for Utah this season, the 20-year-old said he's adopted tendencies from forward Gavin McKenna, who was taken No. 1 by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2026 NHL Draft, while skating together this offseason.

"It's just picking up something small," Iginla said. "Like a change of direction or something specific a player does like that. More of those little things, more of those skills and movements that I'm trying to build into my game."

Projected NHL arrival: This season

2. Caleb Desnoyers, F

How acquired: Selected with No. 4 pick in 2025 NHL Draft

2025-26 season: Moncton (QMJHL): 45 GP, 22-56-78

Desnoyers (6-2, 178) sustained an apparent left leg injury while playing for Team Canada at the World Junior Summer Showcase on Aug. 1, leaving his chance to make the Mammoth roster during training camp in doubt. His health also was a concern entering last season, missing the start of it after having wrist surgery in mid-August 2025.

When healthy, the 19-year-old leans on his physicality without sacrificing skill. He's averaged more than a point per game for Moncton of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League the past two seasons, with 162 points (57 goals, 105 assists) in 101 games, and he had six assists in seven games at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship.

"My mentality is I'll always aim for the highest thing," Desnoyers said June 28. "The highest level I can play this year is the NHL, so I'll focus and do everything I can this summer to achieve that. If not, we'll see after that."

Projected NHL arrival: This season

3. Sebastian Cossa, G

How acquired: Traded from the Detroit Red Wings on June 26 for the No. 23 pick in 2026 NHL Draft

2025-26 season: Grand Rapids (AHL): 39 GP, 26-8-4, 2.33 GAA, .915 SVP

Cossa (6-6, 221) signed a two-year, $4 million contract with Utah on June 30, four days after being traded from Detroit.

The 23-year-old has played one NHL game, making 10 saves on 12 shots in relief of Ville Husso for the Red Wings in a 6-5 shootout win against the Buffalo Sabres on Dec. 9, 2024. He'll get a more substantial look with the Mammoth this season, likely starting as the backup to Karel Vejmelka.

Projected NHL arrival: This season

4. Ethan Belchetz, F

How acquired: Selected with No. 17 pick in 2026 NHL Draft

2025-26 season: Windsor (OHL): 57 GP, 34-25-59

The Mammoth didn't think they had a chance to draft Belchetz (6-5, 228), general manager Bill Armstrong said. When he started to fall, Utah couldn't resist trading its picks at No. 19 and 83 to move up two spots for the towering power forward.

"We were so excited at where he was laying in the draft that we had to move forward to go get him," Armstrong said. "He was a prime target. When we saw him in that range, we were like, 'Hey, we're not going by. We're going to do everything in our power to go out there, move forward and get him.'"

The 18-year-old is exactly what the Mammoth are looking for. He's someone that plays with an edge and lives around the net.

Projected NHL arrival: Next season

5. Dmitri Simashev, D

How acquired: Selected with No. 6 pick in 2023 NHL Draft

2025-26 season: Utah (NHL): 28 GP, 0-1-1; Tucson (AHL): 40 GP, 8-27-35

Simashev (6-4, 198) quickly adapted to hockey in North America last season after previously playing in Russia. His 35 points in the AHL were up from six points (one goal, five assists) in 56 games for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the Kontinental Hockey League in 2024-25.

The 21-year-old is in line for a full season with Utah after the departures of defensemen Sean Durzi, who was traded to the New York Rangers, and Ian Cole, who signed a one-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks, on July 1.

Projected NHL arrival: This season