In March, the Utah Mammoth signed former second-round selection Michael Hrabal to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Utah, in late June, decided to trade for Sebastian Cossa, a goalie prospect who has a high ceiling of his own. But Hrabal remains an intriguing name in the future, and perhaps even the near future. Perhaps Hrabal might be a trade target - or even a high-impact player for Utah.
One thing is for sure, though: Hrabal shouldn't be forgotten by Utah fans.
Michael Hrabal Player Profile
When Hrabal signed this contract in March, GM Bill Armstrong had some nice things to say about him: “Michael had a dominant season at UMass, and we are very excited to have him signed... He is a big, athletic goaltender who continues to get better each season, recently being named the Hockey East Player of the Year. We look forward to watching his continued development.”
Hrabal, similiar to Cossa, is 6'6". He can use his size to his advantage. That's one reason the 21-year-old was selected by the then-Arizona Coyotes in 2023.
Utah wants to see the prospect not just rely on his size, but it's nice to have a tall and physical goalie.
The Czech national, according to NHL.com, performed very well in UMASS: "(He) became the first European player to be named Hockey East Player of the Year, and he was the only unanimous selection to the All-Hockey East First Team. Hrabal led all conference goaltenders in GAA (1.55), SV% (.952), and shutouts (4) during league play, and his .952 mark stood as the second-highest single-season save percentage in Hockey East history. He was also named National Goaltender of the Month in both January and February, as he closed the campaign with a 13-4-1 record in 2026."
Utah, with Cossa and the other Czech national (and starter), Karel Vejmelka, will probably ensure that Utah doesn't need to call on Hrabal in 2026-27. But that doesn't mean seeing Hrabal in the NHL soon isn't impossible.
Hrabal, in 29 games with UMASS in 2025-26, showed strong potential, finishing 19-9-1 with a .937 SV% and 4 shutouts.
Hrabal's ceiling shouldn't be ignored. Connor Hellebuyck might be someone who Utah is interested in. With multiple intriguing goalies, it might make sense for Utah to trade someone like Hrabal or even Cossa in return for the superstar.
Hrabal is certainly a name to watch for Mammoth fans.
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