The Utah Mammoth have been one of the surprises in the NHL this season. The franchise did not make the playoffs in its first season of existence in 2024-25. The Mammoth acquired the assets of the Arizona Coyotes prior to the 2024-25 campaign, and that group has not made the playoffs since 2019-20. The Mammoth have been connected to multiple players as an option for trades. As the team approaches the Olympic break, the front office needs to make one move as they prepare for the rest of the season.
The Mammoth has a few areas of need to address. First, they have dealt with plenty of injuries this year. Alex Kerfoot and Logan Cooley are currently on IR, while other players, such as Barrett Hayton and Brandon Tanev, have missed time this season. They also need to improve on offense. At 3.15 goals per game, the Mammoth are 16th in the NHL in scoring. One of the major issues for the offense has been the powerplay. The Mammoth are last in the NHL in powerplay conversion rate.
Meanwhile, thisis a young core of players, especially at forward. Players such as JJ Peterka, Clayton Keller, Dylan Guenther, Hayton, and Cooley are all 27 or younger and do not have playoff experience. The most experienced players in terms of the playoffs both come on defense, with Mikhail Sergachev and Nate Schmidt. Both of them have won the Stanley Cup before. Still, with little experience in the playoffs at the forward spots, the team needs someone who can fill that need as well.
The Mammoth are in a solid position to make some moves. The team has 27 draft picks available at their disposal, including first-round picks in each of the next three NHL Drafts, plus three second-round picks in 2026, and two thirds. The team also have $7.3 million in cap space currently, plus is expected to have $27.7 million this summer. Adding in a large group of prospects, GM Bill Armstrong has a lot at his disposal to make a big move.
The Mammoth need to go after Nazem Kadri
Nazem Kadri would be a perfect fit for the Mammoth in a trade. With Cooley still out with an injury, there has been a clear need at the center position. Nick Schmaltz has the top line center spot and is second on the team in points this year. Schmalt has found theb ack of the net 19 times while adding 28 helpers, giving him 47 points. Meanwhile, the current second-like center, Hayton, has just 19 points. Even when Cooley returns, he could move to a wing spot or play as the third-line center. Adding Kadri would add an immediate scoring threat.
Kadri leads the Flames with 35 points this year, finding the back of the net nine times and adding 26 assists. That places him on pace for just 53 points, which would be the lowest of his time with the Flames. Still, the issue has not been his play. He has continually created scoring opportunities and has an expected goal factor of 18 goals, but his shooting percentage has struggled this year, while he also has not been getting consistent passes from teammates. With better line combinations around him, Kadri will be scoring more.
Moreover, Kadri will help the worst powerplay unit in the NHL. He has two goals and 11 assists on the power play this season, and has had 19 or more powerplay points in each of the prior four seasons. Kadri has been the best player on the powerplay for the Flames this year, and would give a major boost to the man-advantage unit of the Mammoth with the trade.
Meanwhile, Kadri will fit within the salary cap constraints without needing the Calgary Flames to retain some salary. He is signed through the 2028-29 campaign with an AAV of $7 million, a number the Mammoth can handle. The Flames are also a young team. At an average age of 26.85 years old, they are the fifth youngest team in the league. Moving on from some of their older players and continuing to bring in youth will help the Flames long-term. Part of that will be moving on from players such as Kadri, as well as Blake Coleman and Mikael Backlund.
Finally, Kadri has playoff experience. The forward has played in 52 playoff games in his career. This includes winning the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2021-22. Overall, he has lit the lamp 19 times while adding 25 assists in the playoffs, even though he has not seen playoff hockey as a member of the Flames. Kadri is not a young player anymore, but his playoff experience would be massive for the Mammoth.
Overall, Kadri fits everything that Utah needs from a forward. The team has all the assets needed to make the trade and needs to do so sooner rather than later. The Mammoth are currently 28-23-4 on the year, just outside of the playoffs. They have the same amount of points as the Los Angeles Kings, who have the final wild card spot, but the Kings have played one less game. If the team is going to make a run in a stacked Western Conference, they need to start that before the Olympic break.
