The Utah Mammoth have acquired forward JJ Peterka from the Buffalo Sabres. Buffalo receives Michael Kesselring and Joah Doan in return for Peterka.
There were no draft picks involved in the trade.
JJ Peterka will also have a contract extension in place as he is traded to Utah. He signed a five-year contract worth $7.7 million annually.
The 23-year-old is coming off his best season in a Buffalo Sabres uniform, having posted 68 points (27G, 41A) in 77 games this season. Looking closer at Peterka’s statline, he also managed an impressive plus-minus of only minus-one this season.
This was Peterka’s fourth year in the NHL; he’s racked up 150 points (67G, 83A) in 238 career games played with a career plus-minus of minus-eight.
The Muchen, Germany-born player is a massive addition to the Mammoth’s lineup as he’s shown massive upside playing in the Sabres’ top-six. Utah, which is well known to be looking at adding to its lineup, has been incredibly aggressive since being relocated from Arizona a couple of years ago.
Adding a young forward in Peterka not only solidifies the direction of Utah, but it also shows the commitment they have in the group heading into the 2025-26 season. With the
Michael Kesselring adds depth to the Sabres’ right side on defence, a known area the team wanted and needed to address this offseason. At 25 years old, Kesselring has consistently improved since his first season with the Arizona Coyotes in the 2022-23.
Kesselring never played a game in the NHL for the Edmonton Oilers after being drafted in the sixth round at 164th overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, but made his way to the show four years later.
He posted 29 points (7G, 22A) in his first full 82-game season with Utah in 2024-25, breaking career highs in each statistical category. He’s posted 53 points (12G, 41A) in 156 career games played, all with Utah and Arizona.
Josh Doan was drafted into the Arizona Coyotes organization in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft in the second round at 37th overall.
He turned pro in 2022-23, joining the Tucson Roadrunners of the American Hockey League. He would make his NHL debut in 2023-24, posting nine points (5G, 4A) in 11 games played before the Coyotes’ relocation. Doan, 23, split time between the Roadrunners and Utah this season, but he managed to post 19 points (7G, 12A) in 51 NHL games this past season.
The trade works out well for both teams, but ultimately, Utah comes out in front in the early going of this deal.
ITR 44: We Have A Champion…Again – Inside The Rink
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