Two significant questions facing the NHL this offseason were whether the newly established Utah Mammoth franchise could successfully acquire a top-six forward, and if the Buffalo Sabres would ultimately trade restricted free agent JJ Peterka. These two narratives converged on Wednesday night or early Thursday morning, depending on the time zone, when the Mammoth officially acquired Peterka from the Sabres. In return, Buffalo received forward Josh Doan and defenseman Michael Kesselring.
Let`s analyze the performance of both front offices in this transaction and discuss the implications for each organization moving forward.
Utah Mammoth
Grade: A+
During the 2024-25 season, the Utah Hockey Club demonstrated strong underlying metrics, ranking in the top 10 for shot share, shots per 60 minutes, and scoring chances per 60. However, this didn`t translate into offense, as they finished 16th in goals per game. With a substantial amount of salary cap space available ($20.357 million), addressing this scoring issue was a clear priority.
General Manager Bill Armstrong`s most recent major move to tackle this problem was acquiring Peterka. Following the trade, Utah wasted no time signing him to a five-year contract extension with an annual average value of $7.7 million.
Since Ryan and Ashley Smith took ownership and relocated the team to Salt Lake City, the Mammoth organization has adopted a strategic yet proactive approach. This began last year with trades for key defensemen Mikhail Sergachev and John Marino, part of a plan to significantly upgrade their blue line.
The acquisition of Peterka continues this pattern of making significant moves. In Peterka, the Mammoth gain a 23-year-old who has proven to be a consistent goal scorer. Not only does he directly address their need for more scoring, but he also fits into the team`s long-term vision. After a career-high 50 points (28 goals) in 2023-24, Peterka followed up with 27 goals and 68 points in 77 games in his final season with Buffalo.
Trades often create more lineup flexibility, and Peterka provides the Mammoth with numerous options. Their top-six forward group now includes Clayton Keller, Dylan Guenther, and Nick Schmaltz. This formidable quartet of 20-goal scorers can play alongside centers Logan Cooley and Barrett Hayton, both of whom also surpassed the 20-goal mark last season, anchoring the top two lines.
Possessing one of the league`s strongest prospect pools, the Mammoth were able to acquire Peterka without parting with any of their top-tier prospects. They still retain forwards like Matias Maccelli, who could potentially be involved in a future trade, and currently hold $14.982 million in remaining cap space, according to PuckPedia.
Their most notable unrestricted free agents are Nick Bjugstad and Michael Carcone, while Jack McBain is their only remaining restricted free agent. After potentially adding a significant player with the No. 4 overall pick in the draft (or using the pick to acquire another NHL-ready player), the Mammoth are well-positioned to use the majority of their remaining cap space to be active participants in free agency on July 1.
Buffalo Sabres
Grade: B-
Describing the return package General Manager Kevyn Adams received for Peterka could best be summed up as “complicated.”
Typically, a young, 23-year-old top-six forward who is still under team control would command a significant price. In one sense, the Sabres did receive two NHL players in Doan and Kesselring. However, there`s a valid argument to be made that the return wasn`t sufficient.
Missing the playoffs for 14 consecutive seasons has left the Sabres in a challenging position, attempting to end their drought while also keeping an eye on the future should plans need adjusting. Although Buffalo possesses a strong farm system, trading Peterka presented an opportunity to enhance it further, whether through draft picks or additional prospects.
This is particularly true given Peterka`s importance to the team; he finished second in team points, third in goals, third in power-play points, and third in ice time among forwards who played over 70 games.
It`s not accurate to say Adams received nothing. Josh Doan has the potential to establish himself as a top-nine forward. Moving to Buffalo offers Doan a chance to find the consistency that he lacked in Utah, where he split time between 28 AHL games and 51 NHL games last season.
Michael Kesselring provides the Sabres with a third right-shot defenseman. He has recorded over 20 points and played more than 70 games in back-to-back seasons. He was also ranked sixth among Mammoth defensemen in average ice time, suggesting he could potentially see a larger role in Buffalo, similar to Doan.
Doan and Kesselring add depth to the Sabres roster. They will cost the team a combined $2.325 million against the salary cap, with both players having one year remaining on their contracts before becoming restricted free agents. The Sabres now have $20.881 million in cap space available, according to PuckPedia.
However, the key question remains: Was a bottom-six/middle-six forward and a middle-pairing (at best) defenseman a truly adequate return for a top-six forward? Or should Adams have secured more assets for a player who directly addresses one of the Mammoth`s most significant needs, while leaving the Sabres with a substantial void in their lineup?
