Breaking Down the Mammoth’s Day 1 Free Agent Signings

With the addition of Cam Fowler, the Blues reshaped their blue line by trading a couple of defensemen, including Perunovich. The Blues traded him to the New York Islanders for a conditional 2026 fifth-round pick.

With the Islanders, Perunovich appeared in 11 games, recording three points. While he saw a bump in his average ice time to 19:02, the highest in his career, he failed to appear in a single game in the entire month of March.

The Islanders eventually chose not to give him a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent. The Mammoth then quickly snatched him up for their first free agent of the day.

Perunovich is a solid bottom-pairing defenseman who can easily step in and eat up minutes. At times, he can be a decent two-way player, as he’s shown in the American Hockey League with the Springfield Thunderbirds. That’s exactly what the Tucson Roadrunners need, as defense was an issue for them this past season, along with scoring from the blue line.

Perunovich has played in over 100 NHL games, so if the Mammoth need him up in Utah, he’ll easily slide in. It makes sense for the team, especially after last season when they suffered due to numerous injuries to their blue line. Armstrong did say he expects him to push for an NHL job, so it won’t be surprising to see the defenseman split time between Utah and Tucson.

Brandon Tanev

After trading Matias Maccelli to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Michael Carcone opting to go to free agency, and Nick Bjugstad signing with the Blues on Tuesday, the Mammoth needed at least one more piece to add to their bottom six. Enter Brandon Tanev, one of the best characters in the NHL.

Last season, Tanev played his fourth season with the Seattle Kraken, the team he had played with ever since being selected in the expansion draft. In 60 games, he had 17 points, the second most he had scored in his tenure with the Kraken.

With the team out of the playoffs heading up to the trade deadline and Tanev’s contract ending at the end of the season, the Kraken flipped the forward to the Winnipeg Jets. Tanev had actually begun his career with the Jets back in 2015.

In 19 games, Tanev had five points, helping the Jets win the Presidents’ Trophy and the Central Division title. In 13 playoff games across two rounds, he failed to register a single point but provided a physical presence to the Jets’ bottom six.

Tanev is a hard-working, gritty player who can kill penalties and provide a physical presence. He’ll protect the Mammoth’s younger players while also punishing the team’s opponents.

“He’s got some bang in his game, and that’s what we love about him,” Armstrong said. “He’s got determination. He wants to make a difference physically. He can kill some penalties. He can play on your second or third line, and he can get out there and give you some energy. He’s going to be someone who gives us that little bit extra bang, some more physical presence out there. He never shorts you on effort. He’s going to be an exciting player.”

Tanev will be around for the long term as well, signing a three-year deal with an average annual value (AAV) of $2.5 million. Outside of hockey, he has done plenty of stuff in the communities in the markets he’s been in. With the Kraken during the 2021-22 season, he suffered a knee injury that knocked him out for the rest of the season. So, with his free time, he participated in youth hockey clinics and held season ticket holder meetings.

The forward has also been a big voice in mental health around the NHL. In his stops with the Jets and the Kraken, he participated in the #HockeyTalks campaign to raise awareness about the topic.

If that wasn’t telling of Tanev’s personality, his main claim to fame is one many love. When he was with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2020, he made a shocked face for his headshot. Every season since then, he’s done some variation of it, leading to memes being made of the picture. When Armstrong first saw it, he knew Tanev would be a fan favorite in Utah.

“Heck of a picture,” Armstrong said. “When we signed him, his agent said to us he’s going to be a cult hero in Utah. I said, okay. Then I saw that picture. I thought, oh yeah, he’s got a chance.”

Nate Schmidt

Another Stanley Cup champion has made his way to Salt Lake City. Nate Schmidt might’ve waited a while to hoist his first Stanley Cup, but he’s got years of experience winning in the regular season and the playoffs.

A year ago, Schmidt was at the lowest point in his career. He was bought out by the Jets before the final year of his deal. Then, he signed a one-year contract with the Florida Panthers and began one of the best seasons of his career.

Schmidt played 80 games with the team, the highest number in his career. Across those games, he had 19 points while playing with players like Aaron Ekblad and Dmitry Kulikov. While his average ice time was one of the lowest in his career, he played arguably his best defensive hockey with the Panthers.

In the playoffs, Schmidt was once again one of the best defensemen for the Panthers. He played in all 23 games for the team while recording 12 points, by far the most in his career. The cherry on top was his first Stanley Cup as the Panthers took down the Edmonton Oilers in six games.

While his run with the Panthers was the most impressive playoff performance he has had, Schmidt has played in nearly 100 playoff games. He helped the Vegas Golden Knights reach the Stanley Cup Final in the team’s inaugural season, along with playing top minutes during their Western Conference Final run in 2020. Adding a guy like Schmidt, who knows what it takes to thrive in the regular season and the playoffs, is important for the Mammoth, especially entering a crucial season.

“He’s an older veteran D man,” Armstrong said. “He can come in and move the puck. He can transition the puck. Even with his age, he’s one of the best skaters, and he continues to improve on that and become a better player. He’s another winner. I think we have 10 Cups in total now on our team, and that’s going to be a huge kind of experience factor for us as we move forward and try and push to get in the playoffs.”

Schmidt has actually played with a player on the Mammoth. Way back when, he played with Liam O’Brien on the Washington Capitals, so it’ll be good for him to see a familiar face in Utah.

When it comes to where Schmidt will slot into the lineup, he’ll probably play in Michael Kesselring’s old spot on the bottom pairing with Ian Cole. Playing limited minutes for Schmidt is the best way to get the best game out of him, which is what the Mammoth would be doing by pairing him with Cole.

Similar to Tanev, Schmidt will be around for a while after signing a three-year contract with an AAV of $3.5 million. Also similar to his new teammate, Schmidt is a character who will provide the experience and physicality that the Mammoth will need to take the next step forward.

Vitek Vaněček

Perhaps the most interesting signing of them all, Vitek Vaněček has a chance to revive his career with the Mammoth. It could also be it for his NHL career.

Once a promising young goaltender in the Capitals’ system, Vaněček found himself getting traded to the San Jose Sharks, his third team in the past four years. In his single season with the Sharks, the goalie struggled, recording a record of 3-10-3 with a .882 save percentage (SV%) and a 3.88 goals-against average (GAA). While the team in front of him wasn’t great, Vaněček didn’t do much to try to save his stats.

Vaněček was traded to the Panthers at the trade deadline. With the Panthers, he had a record of 2-4-1 with a .890 SV% and a 3.00 GAA. While he didn’t play in a single playoff game, he did have a viral moment before Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final, staring down Stuart Skinner during the warm-ups. He went on to win the Stanley Cup with the team.

With the Mammoth, Vaněček will get the opportunity to work with a great goalie coach in Corey Schwab. Schwab has been with the team since 2015. Since then, he’s helped start or revive the careers of goalies like Mike Smith, Adin Hill, Darcy Kuemper, Karel Vejmelka, and Connor Ingram.

It will be Vaněček’s best chance to get back to the play he showed in his first couple of seasons in the NHL. The Mammoth are especially hoping he can get back to the play that he had during his first season with the New Jersey Devils, where he won 33 games and had a .911 SV%.

“He’s had some monstrous years in the NHL,” Armstrong said. “Corey Schwab has always done a great job at bringing goaltenders’ games back to life. I think there’s more in there. I think he’s got some ability to push and really win some games for us, some key games. What we loved about him is that he’s a winner. He’s been around that environment. He’s a worker. He always wants to be on the ice, perfecting his craft, and so he’s going to be a great add for us this year.”

With Ingram in the NHL/NHLPA Players’ Assistance Program, the Mammoth needed to add a goalie. Vaněček could be a good stopgap for them. At best, he goes back to playing great hockey, and the team has a solid tandem with him and Vejmelka. At worst, Vaněček’s contract is only a year long and has a value of $1.5 million. They could easily flip him at the deadline or let him walk next summer.

The Return of Kailer Yamamoto

The first thing the Mammoth did on July 1 was bring back a fan favorite, and it was a move that was well deserved as they re-signed Kailer Yamamoto to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000.

After having a great preseason with the Mammoth last year, Yamamoto was signed to a two-way contract by the team. Throughout the season, he flipped between the Roadrunners and Utah. He played 12 games with the Mammoth, producing three points. Meanwhile, in Tucson, Yamamoto had 56 points in 54 games, leading the Roadrunners in that category. He also had a goal in three AHL playoff games.

Yamamoto did say at the end of the AHL season that he would like to return to the organization, and he loved playing in both cities. The forward gets his chance to spend another season with the team where he revived his career.

“I love it here,” Yamamoto said. “Obviously, I want to be up in Utah, but I love Tucson. It’s been awesome down here. The weather down here, the guys, the coaching stuff, it’s been awesome.”

With a couple of forwards leaving the team, Yamamoto could have a better chance to make the Mammoth roster this season. With his great attitude and domination in the AHL, it wouldn’t be surprising if he’s named to the opening night roster. Even if he doesn’t, it’s great for the Roadrunners to have him back.

A Better and Deeper Team

The Mammoth have acquired some fantastic players over the past week, making them a way better team than they were a couple of weeks ago. They’ve become a team with a great top six, especially with the trade to bring in JJ Peterka, and a fantastic top four on the blue line. They’ve also become a deeper team with the additions of Tanev, Schmidt, Perunovich, and Vaněček, and the return of Yamamoto.

The culture has only gotten better with those additions, as well as the Mammoth adding two more Stanley Cup champions to their locker room. It’s something you can never have enough of.

The four signings will probably be the biggest ones the Mammoth will sign outside of a handful of AHL contracts. Especially with the Peterka trade, outside of a Jack McBain extension, there probably won’t be a lot of other big moves made by the team.

While we’ll see if the Mammoth can make the playoffs with this team, Armstrong has constructed a team that can definitely challenge for a spot in the postseason. It’s the best roster he’s put together in his five years as general manager, and the work he has done over that time has been rewarded with the four free agent pickups.