In what may be one of the quietest busiest days of free agency, the Utah Mammoth were able to make a few more acquisitions in Nate Schmidt, Brandon Tanev, and Scott Perunovich. Perunovich is a two-way contract and will provide depth to the NHL roster and Tucson.
Perunovich was a second-round pick in 2018 and played 97 games for the St. Louis Blues before being traded to the New York Islanders. Last season, Perunovich was traded to the Islanders, where he played in 11 games with little impact. New York did not pick up the qualifying offer and made Perunovich an unrestricted free agent. He is a small, speedy defender who can fill in for injuries.
Schmidt is coming off a Stanley Cup-winning season that showed the 33-year-old still has plenty of good hockey left in him after some subpar hockey in Winnipeg. The Minnesota native has been a strong puck-moving defender for over 10 years in the NHL. He can play a solid 16 minutes a game and is a character in the locker room.
The three-year term is a little too much for me, but it solidifies the blue line and gives solid depth at the NHL level after losing Michael Kesselring in the JJ Peterka trade.
Finally, Brandon Tanev was brought to Salt Lake City on a three-year deal, worth $2.5 million per season. If the goal this summer for Bill Armstrong was to sign Brad Marchand, this is a nice consolation as Tanev is a pest.
Most famously known for his awkward team photographs, Tanev has become one of the most reliable depth forwards in the league. The 33-year-old will bring an aggressive forecheck along with a simple game that keeps pucks out of the net and the opposition beyond frustrated. He will chip in about 10 goals as well.
Like Schmidt, the three-year term is a bit much for the player. Sometimes you have to give a little to bring in an asset that you consider the final piece of the puzzle.