The Utah Mammoth lost 1-0 to the St Louis Blues on Saturday, continuing a rough stretch after a great start. Utah has now lost ten of its last 13 games, falling out of the Western Conference playoffs. The Mammoth lost Logan Cooley during the matchup after an injury from a hit. But NHL insider Frank Seravalli reported Sunday that he may have avoided the worst-case scenario.

“Sounds like [Mammoth's] Logan Cooley dodged a bullet – initial finding was that Cooley has a quad contusion. Cooley is getting MRI imaging to confirm there is no knee damage, that is the hope. He was able to walk to the team bus on his own power postgame,” Seravalli reported.

Cooley has been centering the second line with Kailer Yamamoto and Dylan Guenther for the Mammoth throughout the season. His 14 goals and nine assists before the injury earned him an eight-year contract extension worth $10 million per year.

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The Mammoth are in the early stages of a five-game road trip that could determine their playoff fate. Each of their last three losses has been by one goal, and losing Cooley would not help their offense find that goal. If the MRI does confirm Seravalli's report, Utah will be right back in the playoff conversation. But their elite young center missing time is not a good recipe.

Secondary to the NHL concerns are the Olympic concerns this injury presents. Team USA is incredibly injured, with Matthew Tkachuk, Jack Hughes, Charlie McAvoy, and Connor Hellebuyck all out. That could see younger players, like Cooley, get an opportunity at the Olympics in February. If he does not miss much time, his campaign could pick up right where he left off.

The Mammoth are back in action on Monday as their road trip continues against the San Jose Sharks. They need a win to get back on track.