The Utah Mammoth will pick 4th overall in the NHL Draft on Friday, June 27th. As that day approaches, general manager Bill Armstrong will be working hard to select the best player for the pick, while preparing for trades and free agency on July 1st. NHL experts believe that Armstrong will be looking to hit a home run this offseason. Utah is known to be looking for a top-six forward to add scoring up front.
Every NHL Draft brings excitement and anticipation for not only the draft selections but also the potential for a big trade. Normally, a significant trade is made on the weekend of the draft. This could be as large as a top player like Chris Pronger being moved or a swap of top draft choices.
Often, the most expected deals do not happen. In that case, where will Armstrong turn to make the home run move for the Mammoth? If June 30th arrives and Utah has not made a trade, free agency will be where the big swing happens.....or attempts to happen.
The Mammoth are set to have just over $20 million in available salary cap space, with Jack McBain being the lone restricted free agent to be signed. The 25-year-old will likely command a contract worth $2.5 million per year, leaving Armstrong about $17 million to play with in the summer.
The biggest homerun player available will be Mitch Marner, who will need to be paid handsomely, while convincing him to come to Utah. The suitors will be plenty, and some teams already have strong connections to Marner. Whether you believe Marner would be a good addition or not, it would be difficult to see Marner end up in Salt Lake City. This would be for the best, as they would have to use almost all of the cap space and be left with little available for the 2026 restricted free agents.
Two players could fit in the homerun category, being John Tavares and Matt Duchene. Two of the top three draft picks in the 2009 NHL Draft, Tavares and Duchene, continue to have elite point production at age 34. Duchene would be a larger risk as he seems to have success playing in Dallas.
It is an understatement to say things in Toronto were a failure for Tavares. He went home and never made it out of the second round of the playoffs. Still, the former first overall draft choice produced the Maple Leafs. It would be beneficial for Tavares to get out of the spotlight of Toronto. The pressure has become evident, and the roster needs a change.
A move to Utah would be a fresh start with a young franchise that is hungry for veteran leadership. Despite Tavares having minimal success in the playoffs, he can show the younger players how to prepare and be a professional. It would be a welcome voice to first-time captain Clayton Keller.
The addition of Tavares would give depth at center and take the pressure off Logan Cooley. Additionally, Barrett Hayton could move to the wing and play with Tavares. The extension of depth to the man advantage would make Utah far more dangerous.
I am far from stating that this would happen, but Utah fans need to start gauging the expectations for the summer ahead.