Year two of the Utah hockey experience begins in mere months, and the schedule is full of games from Central Division faceoffs to meetings with back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions and even rebuilding Eastern Conference contenders.
NOV. 12th – vs Buffalo Sabres
Easily able to be described as the biggest offseason move General Manager Bill Armstrong made for the Utah Mammoth was the trade of Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan to Buffalo in exchange for JJ Peterka.
Arguably a great move for the Mammoth to get younger on the defensive side with a lot of forward youth in the system and with guys who are finding their footing on second and third lines with a team like Utah (despite the absolute break in the heart of Coyotes 1.0 fans everywhere), moving on from Doan was a good move for Utah and Kesselring proved himself to be a middle of the lineup kind of guy that could be an asset to teams behind the proverbial rebuild eight ball.
Peterka, drafted by Buffalo in 2020, fluctuated between Buffalo’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Rochester Americans, in 2021-22 and played the entirety of the 22-23, 23-24, and 24-25 seasons with the Sabres.
FEB. 4th – vs Detroit Red Wings
The team’s final game before the Olympic break, the Red Wings also provide a good test as a cusp team that has the ability to run in the playoffs if things go their way.
Detroit has a similar build to that of the Mammoth in having an average age of 26.8 years old, compared to the average age of Utah’s forward core being 26.33.
Both teams have veterans within their locker rooms that assist in the youth’s surging throughout the season, with Utah having guys like Alexander Kerfoot (30), Nick Schmaltz (29) and Kevin Stenlund (28) while Detroit has guys like JT Compher (30), Patrick Kane (36) and James Van Riemsdyk (35).
Detroit has been on the rebuild path for the last five-ish years and seems to be inching closer and closer to the playoff contention and dominance they once honed across 25 straight years of playoff appearances.
Utah has the ability to find the same pathing, appears to be trending in the same direction, and easily the two draw drastic comparisons to one another on the ice and in the front office with general managers who have had success in other organizations, but are looking to continue their legacy in their current placements.
MAR. 19th – @ Las Vegas Golden Knights
With the end of the season less than a month away at this point, this will be a good test for Utah on the contention level they would be crossed with come the playoffs, should they be in contention.
The Golden Knights tend to be powerhouses in the playoffs, and come March, they would be closer to their stride in getting the real center of their lineup all squared away.
With two games hosting Vegas earlier in the season, the aspect of this matchup being a road game is where most of the leverage applies in terms of why this is a must watch.
Vegas’ roster has become packed with talent with new acquisition Mitch Marner who, when placed on an actual contender later is the season, has the ability to win his first Stanley Cup – the main goal for Vegas when agreeing to the sign and trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs for Marner.
APR. 16th – vs Saint Louis Blues
With the season being over after this matchup, this game, providing Utah has positioned itself in an area to be a playoff team, would dictate how they enter the playoffs.
Assumptively, as a lower seed in the first round, they would have to climb the hill of majority of the games being on the road. The final home game of the season allows for the Mammoth to put themselves in a position to be ready to run should they be able to finish the season on a high note, stringing together a win in their last two home games.
The NHL season is right around the corner, and as we get closer, the offseason will only continue to ramp up the excitement for the season with teams hosting development camps, making final offseason free agent moves, and possible roster moves to strengthen the team they begin the season with.
Utah begins the preseason with the Colorado Avalanche on September 21st
ITR 47: Then There Was Nothing – Inside The Rink
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