This offseason, it was clear that the Utah Mammoth were going to go after someone in the trade market. Utah decided, however, to trade for Vincent Trocheck instead of someone bigger. The 33-year-old wasn't very expensive, so it makes a lot of sense.
That said, it's clear Utah plans to build its team around some very young, great players. Two stand out as potential superstars, though. So, the need to trade for someone or sign someone really isn't there.
Logan Cooley and Tij Iginla could be the future
Two players could be superstars for Utah. The 22-year-old center Logan Cooley is one player who hasn't quite reached his potential. Drafted 3rd overall in 2022, Cooley has been a consistent offensive player for Utah. This last 2025-26 season, though, Cooley scored 24 goals and added 19 assists in only 54 games. Cooley was effective with Dylan Guenther, and Utah will hope to get a nice combination of those two in the future.
Cooley's potential is clearly very high, and he has shown he can score 35+ goals and add many assists in the future. Cooley will enter his fourth NHL season in 2026-27, but he can still break out.Tij Iginla, 20, meanwhile, might have an even higher ceiling. The 6th overall selection of 2024 hasn't reached the NHL yet, but next season could be his year.
In the WHL, Iginla scored 41 goals and added 49 assists in 48 games. 90 points show Iginla's ability to be a superstar on the offensive side of things. Plus, the 20-year-old hasn't shown any major weaknesses and has a powerful shot. Can he enter the NHL and immediately be a top-of-the-line kind of guy? Well, no one knows. But his skill is undeniable.
The future of Utah is both Iginla and Cooley, and hopefully, Utah can get some impressive showings from both of them consistently next season.
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