JJ Peterka trade might be the best thing to happen to the Mammoth

The Utah Mammoth hit a home run on late Wednesday night by landing one of the most talked-about players this offseason: JJ Peterka.

The Mammoth got Peterka in exchange for Josh Doan and Michael Kesselring. That was it. The fourth-overall pick was not in play.

That situation makes the Peterka deal a home run for the Mammoth. Rumblings had suggested the Mammoth were going to go big, and they did. The team has added yet another young, top-line scorer who could conceivably play with Clayton Keller next season.

That’s a thought that should have Utah fans salivating at the mouth. The Mammoth are now stocking up to build a contending team for the foreseeable future. The best part is that the fourth-overall pick is still in Utah’s possession.

Whether or not that pick is part of another, larger deal remains to be seen

As for Peterka, the Mammoth get a budding 30-goal scorer. Peterka has scored 27 and 28 goals in his last two seasons. Playing with a center like Logan Cooley could push Peterka over the 30-goal hump.

Under the right circumstances, there’s no reason to believe Peterka couldn’t be a 40-goal scorer. That’s what Utah is banking on.

Meanwhile, the Buffalo Sabres had to sell now. Contract extension talks between Peterka and the Sabres had hit a standstill. Peterka was set to become an RFA on July 1. If that had been the case, the two sides could have gotten into a complicated negotiation, which could have ended in arbitration.

Fortunately for everyone involved, that will no longer be the case. The Sabres have sidestepped a complicated situation, while the Mammoth keep getting better.

Utah Mammoth sign JJ Peterka to extension

Insider Frank Seravalli had initially reported the trade, citing a “contingency” as a holdup. It’s unclear what that contingency was. But judging from the way the deal worked out, said contingency could have been the contract extension.

Almost immediately after news of the trade broke, the Mammoth signed JJ Peterka to a five-year $38.5 million extension.

That extension, on its own, is another home run for the Mammoth. The $7.7 million cap hit is perfectly reasonable in today’s NHL. If Peterka has a breakout year in 2025-26, the extension will look like a steal.

Daily Faceoff projects Peterka landing on the Mammoth’s second line with Barrett Hayton and Nick Schmaltz. That line looks solid, though the Mammoth may be looking for another upgrade there.

While legit second-line centers are hard to come by, perhaps adding another top-six winger could give Utah more options throughout the lineup.

Overall, Utah Mammoth fans should be ecstatic about this move. The team got a highly talented young player and signed him to a reasonable extension. The Mammoth still have about $15 million in cap space, so there’s still room for more interesting moves.