One of the biggest moves made last offseason was the Utah Mammoth trading for JJ Peterka. Things didn't go too well, as Peterka is already out of Utah. But could not trading for the player have changed Utah's fate? The answer is probably no, but in the long run, Utah could have benefited from not trading for Peterka. Even so, Utah can't regret much, because trading Peterka away was a good move that has led to a great offseason so far for the Mammoth.
The Mammoth probably regret the trade
At the time, it seemed like the Mammoth made a really good move. Utah traded for a 23-year-old potential superstar in Peterka. Peterka scored 27 goals and 68 assists in his final season in Buffalo- making the Mammoth think they could get a 30+ goal scorer and maybe a 70+ point scorer in Peterka. The Mammoth lacked goal scoring in the 2024-25 season, and trading for Peterka made a ton of sense. The Buffalo Sabres, meanwhile, couldn't retain the restricted free agent and decided not to ask for too much for him. The return for Peterka was winger Josh Doan and defenseman Michael Kesselring. Kesselring barely played in 34 games before leaving Buffalo this offseason.
However, it was Doan that makes Utah regret the trade. Doan, 24, scored 27 goals and 52 points. Meaning that Doan essentially provided a bit more offense than Peterka. The problem is simple, though: they are the same age, and Peterka cost the Mammoth $7.7 million AAV. This meant that Utah lost the trade as Peterka dissapointed and Doan surprised.
Yet, Utah isn't too dissapointed at all
Utah didn't need Peterka after this last season, as their goal-scoring improved massively, and they weren't interested in the high AAV. This led to a trade to the Boston Bruins for two first-round selections. The 23rd overall selection from the 2026 NHL draft was used to trade for a much-needed goalie in the high prospect Sebastian Cossa. The Mammoth also used the remaining AAV to trade for a superstar and sign a veteran star. The Mammoth definitely used Peterka to get what they wanted this last offseason.
Utah definitely doesn't like that they traded a young, potential superstar in Doan to Buffalo, but they can't be disappointed that Peterka was traded for a good return. Even if Utah didn't trade for Peterka, not much would've changed thanks to the fact that Doan and Peterka put up very similar numbers. At the very least, Utah would've enjoyed not having the AAV of Peterka.
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