The Utah Mammoth came away from the draft happy with the selection of Caleb Desnoyers with the 4th pick overall. With free agency starting tomorrow, general manager Bill Armstrong is covering all his bases and made the final move before the flood gates open tomorrow at 10 AM. Today, forward Matias Maccelli was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a conditional third-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. If Toronto qualifies for the playoffs this season and Maccelli finishes with at least 51 points, the pick will change to a second-round pick in the 2029 draft.
Maccelli is a restricted free agent after the 2025-26 season, while he finishes up his prior, three-year contract worth $3.425 million a season. Last year, Maccelli finished with just 8 goals and 10 assists in 55 games.
The Mammoth were coming up against the deadline of the buyout window ending today and found a trade partner for Maccelli. The 24-year-old has 130 points in 224 games in the NHL with the Arizona Coyotes and Utah Hockey Club. He never quite put all the skills together, despite having a 17-goal season in 2023-24.
Despite being a young player, Maccelli did not fit with the crowded group of young forwards, and the acquisition of JJ Peterka from the Buffalo Sabres. Josh Doan, a depth piece last season, was also traded in the Peterka trade.
The trade clears salary cap space for the Mammoth to become real players in free agency tomorrow with over $18 million in cap space. Rumors have swirled that Armstrong is targeting Brad Marchand and his experience to plug in with the youthful team, but we will not have to wait long to see that outcome.