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Owen Tippett, Philadelphia Flyers (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Utah Mammoth Should Aggressively Pursue Owen Tippett

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Jeremy Schouppe | Last updated Mar 4, 2026 2:10 PM ET

Utah Mammoth general manager Bill Armstrong seems to be aggressively working the phones, trying to find the right deal ahead of Friday’s trade deadline to give his young, up-and-coming roster a secure spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2019-20, when the Arizona Coyotes lost in the first round.

Coming out of the Olympic break, the Mammoth had a six-point cushion on the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference, and before the break, on an appearance on Sportsnet’s Real Kyper and Bourne show, Armstrong said he believes “your team tells you how aggressive you need to be” at the deadline.

Well, since the deadline, the Mammoth have played four games. They’ve lost two, both by multiple goals, including one in which they were shut out by the Chicago Blackhawks, and have won two, but now only have a four-point cushion on their playoff spot.

The Mammoth’s struggle for consistency after the break felt familiar, which should signal to management that it’s time to add. Robert Thomas has been thrown around as the big-name Armstrong could take a swing at, but with several teams reportedly in the mix, I want to throw out the Philadelphia Flyers’ Owen Tippett as someone who could work as Nick Schmaltz’s long-term replacement.

Mammoth Should Start Looking for Schmaltz Replacement

Most people have suggested the Mammoth target a center who can play in their top-six, and for good reason, with the combination of Logan Cooley and Barrett Hayton being overmatched when you look at the top-six pivots on contending teams.

However, the Mammoth should be contemplating how to replace Schmaltz, whose contract expires at the end of the season and will be due for a big-time pay raise after scoring 20 goals and at least 58 points in five straight seasons.

After many long seasons with the Coyotes before seeing the light at the end of the tunnel with the move to Salt Lake City, Schmaltz deserves every penny he can earn. However, the Mammoth are entering their contention window, so they can’t afford to pay a 30-year-old big bucks long term.

Owen Tippett is the Perfect Replacement

On Nick Kypreos’ most recent trade board, Tippett, the 10th overall draft pick from the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, showed up on his list, noting, “A lot of teams would like to take a run at Tippett, and he’s far from untouchable as the Flyers are looking for change.

Tippett and Schmaltz are comparable. There are the obvious goal-scoring similarities – both have scored 20-plus goals in multiple consecutive seasons. They are both tremendous skaters, ranking in the top 10 per cent of all NHL Edge’s skating speed stats, which includes Tippett ranking in the 99th percentile in 20-22 mph boosts and 22-plus mph bursts.

Production-wise, Schmaltz has the edge, averaging 0.92 points per game compared to Tippett’s 0.60 per game. However, most of this can be attributed to the assist column, with Schmaltz averaging 0.38 goals per game to Tippett’s 0.32 (via Natural Stat Trick). Schmaltz is the better playmaker; however, the gap is not as wide as it may appear on paper.

Schmaltz has been a duo with Olympic gold medalist Clayton Keller since their days in the desert. The two have elite chemistry, and Schmaltz has benefited offensively from playing with a player of this caliber. The same can’t be said of Tippett, whose most common line mates this season have been Trevor Zegras, Christian Dvorak, Sean Couturier, and Denver Barkey (via Money Puck).

Zegras is having an excellent campaign in his first season with the Flyers, but, given that he is the only consistent scoring option Tippett has played with, it shouldn’t come as a shock that he is struggling to get in the assist column.

Acquiring Tippett Works Now & For the Future

Last season, Tippett ranked in the 99th percentile in shots off the rush, 93rd percentile in shots off high-danger passes and zone entries, while also ranking in the 69th percentile in defensive WAR (Microstat Player Cards, HockeyStats.com, Mar 3, 2026). He would thrive under Mammoth head coach Andre Tourigny, especially with more offensive talent around him.

He would become the boost the Mammoth need offensively down the stretch and into the playoffs, and would allow Schmaltz to stay centering Keller’s line, giving them much more depth down the middle with him, Cooley, and Hayton as their one, two, three punch.

At $6.2 million per year and nearing the end of the second year of an eight-year deal, Tippett’s contract has the potential to become one of the best in the NHL. It would be worth taking on his salary, even if the Mammoth will need cap space for their former first-round picks in a few years. This deal shouldn’t cause any problems down the road. It would replace Schmaltz’s while adding the missing piece to a very good, but not great, Mammoth offence.

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL GOAL BY OWEN TIPPETT

: @SportsOnPrimeCA https://t.co/93veFI9jrZ pic.twitter.com/payBXQQe1P
— NHL (@NHL) December 23, 2025

With all the similarities between Schmaltz and Tippett, it’s hard to believe that Tippett wouldn’t flourish in the Mammoth’s system like Schmaltz has, posting a career-high last year, and pacing another high this season. Tippett is the type of player who was built to play in Utah and should be the one Armstrong is all-in on before Friday’s trade deadline.