Mammoth season preview: Young core, veteran additions bolster high expectations

The 2026-27 NHL regular season begins Sept. 29. Leading up to the season opener, NHL.com is identifying six things to watch for each team. Today, the Utah Mammoth.

Last season: 43-33-6, fourth in Central Division; lost in Western Conference First Round

Coach: Andre Tourigny (sixth season)

Biggest challenge

High expectations. In 2024-25, the Utah Hockey Club enjoyed a whirlwind honeymoon. After the NHL established the new franchise, the team purchased the hockey assets of the Arizona Coyotes and everyone scrambled to play the first season. No one was too disappointed when Utah failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It didn’t have a permanent name nor practice rink yet. Last season, the team became the Mammoth and moved into a palatial facility. Not only did they make the playoffs, but they took a 2-1 lead on the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference First Round before losing in six games. This season, people will expect more. The Central Division remains stacked with three of the top seven teams in the NHL standings last season (the Colorado Avalanche, first; Dallas Stars, third; and Minnesota Wild, seventh).

How they make playoffs

The young players continue to grow, and the veteran additions bring what Utah hopes they will. Captain Clayton Keller, who led the Mammoth with 88 points (26 goals, 62 assists) in 82 games last season, is now 28. But forward Dylan Guenther, who led them with 40 goals last season, is still only 23, and forward Logan Cooley, who missed time with a lower-body injury and had 43 points (24 goals, 19 assists) in 54 games last season, is still only 22. Cooley seems primed to break out. Utah had plenty of speed and skill. What it needed was more grit and experience, so it signed forward Anders Lee, 36, to a three-year, $16.2 million contract ($5.4 million average annual value) and acquired center Vincent Trocheck, 33, from the New York Rangers on July 1.

Most intriguing addition

Trocheck (56 games) has more playoff experience than Cooley (six), Guenther (six), Keller (15), Lawson Crouse (15) and Nick Schmaltz (10) have combined (52). He also helped Team USA win gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The Mammoth can use him in so many ways -- center, wing, power play, penalty kill. He can take face-offs whether he’s on the wing or at center; he has already been mentoring his younger teammates on face-offs in practices. It will be interesting to see where he starts out at even strength. In training camp, he has been the left wing on the first line with Schmaltz and Keller, but he has skated with Cooley for years in the offseason in their hometown of Pittsburgh.

Biggest potential surprise

Goalie Sebastian Cossa has played only 45 minutes in the NHL, making one relief appearance for the Detroit Red Wings in 2024-25. But he’s 6-foot-6, 221 pounds, and was selected with the No. 15 pick of the 2021 NHL Draft by Detroit. Cossa went 26-8-4 with a 2.33 goals-against average, a .915 save percentage and five shutouts for Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League last season, and is still only 23. After being acquired by Utah on June 26, he will play in the NHL this season. Karel Vejmelka, who started 63 games last season, is expected to carry the bulk of the load again, but Cossa should have opportunity, especially with the schedule expanding from 82 games to 84.

Ready to contribute

Defenseman Dmitri Simashev, selected by Arizona with the No. 6 pick of the 2023 NHL Draft, had one assist in 28 games for Utah and 35 points (eight goals, 27 assists) in 40 games for Tucson of the AHL last season. The 21-year-old, listed at 6-foot-4, 198 pounds, could play the left side on the third pair. Also keep an eye on forward Daniil But, selected by Arizona with the No. 12 pick of the 2023 NHL Draft. The 21-year-old (6-5, 203), had seven points (three goals, four assists) in 29 games for Utah and 39 points (19 goals, 20 assists) in 41 games for Tucson last season, and he had a goal and an assist in a 6-3 preseason win against the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday.

Fantasy sleeper with EDGE stats

Vincent Trocheck, F: He had 53 points (16 goals, 37 assists), 16 power-play points and 193 hits in 67 games with the Rangers last season. Trocheck, who had a career-high 77 points (25 goals, 52 assists) in all 82 games in 2023-24, has had at least 20 goals in four of his past five seasons and at least 175 hits in five straight seasons. Since 2022-23, Trocheck is the only NHL player to have at least 70 goals (89), 700 shots on goal (756), 700 hits (764) and 240 blocked shots (257) over that span. Per NHL EDGE stats, Trocheck ranked highly among forwards in hardest shot (91.12 mph; 88th percentile), max skating speed (23.04 mph; 85th percentile) and total skating distance (218.77 miles; 87th percentile) last season. He remains one of the better category coverage players in the League and can outperform his fantasy average draft position (132.5), especially if he earns exposure to Keller and Schmaltz on the top line. -- Chris Meaney

Projected lineup

Vincent Trocheck -- Nick Schmaltz -- Clayton Keller

Dylan Guenther -- Logan Cooley -- Anders Lee

Jack McBain -- Barrett Hayton -- Lawson Crouse

Michael Carcone -- Kevin Stenlund -- Kailer Yamamoto

Mikhail Sergachev -- MacKenzie Weegar

Nate Schmidt -- John Marino

Dmitri Simashev -- Andrew Peeke 

Karel Vejmelka

Sebastian Cossa