Mammoth Turn Attention to Extending Young Star

After a solid first season in Salt Lake City, the newly-renamed Utah Mammoth have a bright future ahead of them largely thanks to their young forward core.

Between Clayton Keller, Logan Cooley, Dylan Guenther, Barrett Hayton and the newly acquired JJ Peterka, the Mammoth have five talented forwards to build around, all 26 years old or younger. They've also done a good job of locking those forwards up to long-term deals when the time comes, but their job is not done.

Specifically, Cooley, 21, is entering the final year of his entry-level contract. After scoring 25 goals and 65 points in 75 games last season, the Pittsburgh native is going to command a significant raise on his next deal.

With Cooley now eligible to sign an extension, it comes as no surprise that the Mammoth want to get a deal done as soon as possible.

“He’s an important part and an important piece in the future of this franchise," general manager Chris Armstrong told reporters during a press conference. "He’s one of the most dynamic young players in the NHL, certainly one we think is a future star in this league and we want him to be a star for the Utah Mammoth. We’ve had great conversations with his representatives, we’ll continue that dialogue through the rest of the summer and hope that we can get something done ahead of the season.”

The No. 3 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, Cooley has quickly emerged as a star in this league, and will only continue to improve as he enters his prime. He's also helped contribute to an environment that players want to play in, as shown by Utah being very active in free agency.

“A lot of that credit actually goes to our fans and the community, and how well this team was embraced in its inaugural season. People seeing that energy from the outside, watching our games on TV, and following our team. I think it also means what we’re doing is working, but that we have a lot more work to do to continue to put ourselves in positions to attract the free agents that we think can make us better.

"That is the art and science, if you will, of free agency. It’s very rare that you’re looking at a player that several teams are not also looking at. So, what are your points of differentiation and for us, I think a player like Brandon (Tanev) sees the youth and energy, the trajectory of this team. He has experience and was very complimentary to his time with (head coach André Tourigny) with Team Canada. So, for a player like him, I think he knows the role and the impact that he can have here and that gets him excited.”