The Utah Mammoth have quickly and quietly planted deep roots in the Western Conference. They made the first playoff appearance in franchise history in 2026, accomplishing a feat that the Arizona Coyotes managed only once in their final 12 years of existence. The Mammoth are already enjoying better fortunes, but, in a similar path to the Montreal Canadiens in the East, young reinforcements seem poised to push the team even further.
Utah’s lineup is already built around elevating young talent. Dylan Guenther notched 40 goals and 73 points last season, nearly doubling the previous mark for the most goals by a Utah or Arizona player under age 23. Logan Cooley also emerged as a bona fide second-line center, scoring at a 65-point pace for a second season despite missing 29 games last year.
The presence of Cooley and Guenther proved to be an X-factor down the stretch, finally giving Utah two gut punches behind Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz. Utah benefited from opening the door for young players to prove their worth and will face the same test again next season.
Top winger prospect Tij Iginla and center prospect Caleb Desnoyers are ready to jump to the pros. Both players had fantastic junior careers – Iginla as an energetic scorer and Desnoyers as a two-way playmaker. The duo also struggled with injuries, playing through or missing games because of long-term ailments. Injuries did not seem to hold either player back against junior competition, though they do raise questions about how each will handle the physicality of the professional game.
That will be an important question to answer. Iginla is a dynamic stickhandler with a crafty ability to cut through the slot. He is sharp and dangerous when he has the puck in the offensive end, though his in-your-face style can lead to a lot of hard hits. Desnoyers faced the pressure of opposing defenders after crossing the blue-line or pushing down the boards, while serving his role as the Moncton Wildcats’ top play-driver. Both players dominated the competition despite physical pressure. Iginla averaged 69 points and 44 games per season over his last three years in the WHL. Desnoyers averaged 73 points and 54 games through three years in the QMHL.
If they can handle the grind of professional hockey, Utah could support their top prospects with focused offensive-zone deployments and power-play ice time. That would put them in more scoring situations and fewer defensive battles. With that support, either rookie could vie for at least a third-line role and work up from there.
The Mammoth’s top picks aren’t the only promising youngsters on the roster bubble. Also targeting top-nine roles will be volume-shooting winger Danil But, grinder Gabe Smith and energetic puck-mover Joshua Roy. Their scoring upside and top-six potential are lower than those of Iginla or Desnoyers, but Utah could still benefit from their presence. Adding rookies would offer alternatives within a Mammoth bottom six that has long been built around veterans such as Jack McBain, Barrett Hayton and Lawson Crouse. Those veterans offer reliability, while Utah’s prospects could offer versatility – invaluable flexibility as the playoffs draw near.
Utah has already reached the playoffs thanks in part to its young stars. After a string of strong additions in free agency, the Mammoth could take another step by rewarding high-performing prospects with NHL opportunities. Their class of potential rookies offers considerable upside, but their chances of winning lineup spots won’t become clear until training camp.