SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Mammoth are gearing up for another promising season after reaching the playoffs in their second year.
The team has retained much of its core talent and added key players like Vincent Trocheck and Anders Lee. Rising stars Dylan Guenther and Logan Cooley are secured with long-term contracts, while veterans like Clayton Keller and Karel Vejmelka provide leadership.
Utah faces challenges in goaltending depth, as Vejmelka had limited rest last season. New additions on defense will need to step up.
What to expect
Utah reached the playoffs in just its second season after Ryan Smith bought the former Arizona Coyotes franchise and moved it to Salt Lake City as an expansion team. The Mammoth are positioned to challenge for a playoff spot again this year since much of the core talent remains in place.
Simply making the NHL playoffs isn't good enough in Mammoth's third season:
1:33
Rising stars like Dylan Guenther and Logan Cooley are locked up under long-term contracts. Clayton Keller, Mikhail Sergachev, and Karel Vejmelka provide veteran leadership. Getting out of the Western Conference's Central Division is always a grind, but Utah should be one of the better teams in the division.
Strengths and weaknesses
The good: Utah kept its young core together while adding Trocheck and Lee to the mix. It will add balance, depth and experience to a potent and speedy offense. Keller, Guenther and Cooley are all dynamic scorers while Vejmelka has been steady between the pipes. Defensively, having Makenzie Weegar paired alongside Mikhail Sergechev for a full season should pay immediate dividends.
The not-so-good: Depth at goaltender remains a concern. Vejmelka had few opportunities for rest last season when Vanecek struggled to get stops in scattered starts. Cossa offers plenty of upside but has only a single NHL game under his belt. Losing Cole and Durzi on the backline deprives Utah of a couple of proven veteran leaders. The Mammoth will need new acquisitions like Peeke and Jones to be physical and steady on defense.
Andrea Urbn tours the Phase 2 Delta Center renovations that are now complete:
1:33
Players to watch
Bringing in Trocheck should help the power play and he is one of the best in the league in penalty kills. The skillful Lee will bring a unique element to the Mammoth offense. Can Cooley stay healthy and reach his full potential? He missed 28 games last season and was on pace to be one of Utah's top two scorers a season ago before the injury. Guenther registered a team-high 40 goals last season and seems capable of expanding his offensive game.
___
See AP's full NHL coverage here