The offseason so far for the Utah Mammoth has been nothing short of amazing- but Utah may be out of moves after using most of their salary cap room. Essentially, the team will have no money left if they decide to match the offer sheet for Barrett Hayton from the New Jersey Devils. The Mammoth must ask multiple questions, including: did they get what they wanted from free agency and the trade market, and if not, do they want to re-sign Hayton?
A Mammoth-Hayton deal may be the last major deal of the offseason for Utah
Unless Utah were to make some major trades to free up salary space, which by the way would be extremely strange and unnecessary, the team's decision to either match the offer for Hayton or not could be the last of the offseason. The Devils on July 1st offered restricted free agent Hayton a one-year $4.785M deal. The deal isn't hugely expensive, but it isn't exactly cheap for a player who has been a big disappointment since he was drafted 5th overall in 2018. Hayton scored just 10 goals and added only 15 assists in 67 games this last season, which was a step back for Hayton after a 46-point season in the 2024-25 season (20 goals and 26 assists).
In Hayton's career, he has been up and down, including a 19-goal season in 2022-23. Hayton has been close to a breakout multiple times, but has been unable to build on his better offensive seasons. Now, the 26-year-old became an interesting target for the Devils who probably sought to Hayton for their offensive issues last season. The Devils were 27th in goals per game and probably figured that Hayton could get much more ice time in Jersey than in Utah, especially after Utah's recent additions. The Mammoth have until tomorrow to match or not match the offer. If Utah does, they cannot trade Hayton for the entire season, and if they don't, they will receive a 2027 second-round pick as compensation from the Devils.
Did Utah get what they wanted from this offseason?
The answer would be yes, absolutely. The team's largest additions have been Vincent Trocheck and Anders Lee. Both add veteran talent and experience that will be very valuable to a team that needs experience and leadership. Simply put, the top nine of the Mammoth is now one of the best-balanced top nines in all of the NHL, which is awesome. The offense now has the ability to be amazing, and the defense also can be equally amazing. Even if matching the offer for Hayton was the last move the team made, the team still put together an overall great offseason.
The youth of the team is one of the best things about the Mammoth, and mixing it with the veterans they acquired will definitely make Utah a better team. This offseason, Utah knew they weren't going to lose much and didn't need to make any drastic changes. Ultimately, though, the Mammoth have suddenly become a much scarier team to deal with.
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