The NHL Stanley Cup Finals began last night with the Edmonton Oilers taking game 1 in overtime against the defending champion, the Florida Panthers. All the other teams in the NHL jealously watch as the rest of the league fell short of their goal to win the Stanley Cup. The Utah Mammoth did not have the opportunity to compete in the playoffs and will aim to take that next step in the 2025-26 season. Players like Matias Maccelli will look to take their game to the next level for the success of the franchise and a new contract.
After being drafted by the Arizona Coyotes in the 4th round of the 2019 NHL Draft, the 24-year-old has played in 224 career games, registering 37 goals and 93 assists. Last season was a disappointment for Maccelli as he was only able to play in 55 games. His 8 goals and 18 points were underwhelming.
The speedy winger is entering the final year of his contract and will become a restricted free agent after the 2025-26 season. General manager Bill Armstrong will have a long list of important restricted free agents next summer to lock up to long-term contracts. At the forefront of this list is rising star Logan Cooley. Additionally, Barrett Hayton and Josh Doan will need new contracts.
Maccelli is currently earning $3,425,000 per season and will surely be seeking a raise. The Finnish forward provides great speed and ability, but with a crowded group of young forwards, Maccelli will need to have a strong season to prove that he should not only stay in Utah but also potentially take on a larger role. The impact he can have on a game is important and would translate to playoff hockey as long as he can stay healthy.
A veteran like Alexander Kerfoot can provide a strong all-around game with less speed, but with less financial burden than Maccelli. Kerfoot, an unrestricted free agent next summer, has over 600 games played in the NHL and provides the consistency that Utah would like to see from Maccelli.
It is not far-fetched to correlate a strong season from Maccelli translating into a playoff-bound Utah Mammoth club. The NHL is all about speed, and that is a strong point for Maccelli.