Utah Mammoth sign Daniil But to entry-level contract

General manager Bill Armstrong said in a release that there’s a lot to like about the 20-year-old.

“We are very pleased to sign Daniil to an NHL contract,” Armstrong said. “Daniil is a highly skilled forward with a great shot and playmaking skills who is coming off a career season. We are looking forward to seeing him in a Mammoth sweater.”

But was originally taken by the Mammoth in the first round, 12th overall, of the 2023 NHL Draft, when the team was known as the Arizona Coyotes. He built his stock up over a couple of impressive seasons with Loko Yaroslavl of the MHL, Russia’s top junior league.

The Yaroslavl native has spent most of the last two seasons with the Lokomotiv of the Kontinental Hockey League, where he has shown he can be a force. The 6-foot-6 winger improved after a solid 2023-24 campaign by scoring a career-high 28 points in 54 games this season.

But has been a part of the Yaroslavl squad that has made it to the Gagarin Cup Final in each of the past two seasons, winning the KHL championship for the first time in franchise history. He posted an assist in 13 games during this year’s playoffs.

Across the past three campaigns, But has appeared in 124 KHL games, scoring 21 goals and 30 assists for 51 points, with another three points coming in 33 postseason games.

Along with his professional career, But has also represented his country at the lower levels, winning the gold medal with Team Russia at the 2021 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.