As the Utah Mammoth continue their offseason, they have one of the best young cores in the NHL, including both young players and prospects. The Mammoth are definitely going to want to see some of these potential superstars have a major impact on the team in the future, and it is interesting to see how Scott Wheeler of the Athletic ranked the top 100 NHL prospects in the middle of July:
7: Tij Iginla, F
Tij Iginla was ranked as the No. 7 best prospect in the NHL- but he honestly deserves a little better. Iginla has become one of the best prospects in the NHL, especially with a 41-goal, 90-point season in the WHL. Iginla deserves to be a Tier-1 prospect, as people have really done nothing but rave about the young star. At the very least, though, it seems like Iginla will easily reach the NHL in the 2026-27 season, and Iginla may be the next superstar for the Mammoth- which is why Iginla has become untouchable in trade conversations.
22. Caleb Desnoyers, C
Not far away from Iginla, the No. 22 best prospect on the list is the former 4th overall selection of the 2025 NHL draft. Caleb Desnoyers, 19, is hailed as a hard-working center who is determined to win and do just about everything well in his game. Offensively, Desnoyers doesn't seem to have the kind of superstar potential as Iginla, but Desnoyers can definitely be the center of the future for Utah. It wouldn't be surprising at the least to see two superstars, Iginla and Desnoyers, both really help the Mammoth as soon as this next season.
30. Ethan Belchetz, F
For a high ranking at No. 30, interestingly, the Mammoth immediately got themselves a great player in a steal of a pick in the 2026 first round of the NHL draft. The Mammoth traded up for the 17th overall selection, which they used to select Ethan Belchetz, who was predicted to easily go in the first 12 picks. Belchetz, 6'5'', has had some injury issues and can skate a bit awkwardly with his size, but defensively and offensively, Belchetz can easily be elite. If he can put things together, the 18-year-old's potential is HUGE. The Mammoth absolutely stole Belchetz. The fact that Belchetz is already considered a top-30 prospect in the NHL is a great thing.
41. Dmitri Simashev, D
Scott Wheeler said this about Dmitri Simashev: "Every team wants long defensemen who can really skate, and Simashev checks both of those boxes. He’s a rangy, smooth-skating defenseman who is comfortable playing both sides." Despite already reaching the NHL, Simashev is still considered a prospect, as he has only 28 games under his belt. The Mammoth have high hopes for Simashev, hoping he can become a key part of the defense in the 2026-27 season. Wheeler also said: "I’m still not as high on him as some others are and didn’t feel he was a No. 6 pick in 2023, but he has the more important makings of a top-four defenseman who can play minutes and drive results with his defensive play, length and skating." Despite the Mammoth maybe not getting a great selection by selecting Simashev, they still got an important player who can be an X-factor defensively, and, he is still only 21.
77. Daniil But, F
Perhaps a little underrated, perhaps not, is No. 77 on the list, the 21-year-old Daniil But. The Russian was selected 12th overall in the 2023 draft, and, also 6'5'', has reached the NHL. In the 2025-26 season, But scored 3 goals and 7 points in 28 games. But ultimately, he isn't likely to become the next superstar, but he adds some nice depth and scoring ability. Not to mention, But is a prime offensive player to use when playing defense. But it is the final Mammoth player, and the fifth overall, to make the list of players in the top 100. The future is very bright for Utah.
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