Utah Mammoth’s 2024-25 Report Cards: Jack McBain

Also notably in November, McBain made headlines as he was involved in a collision with Alex Ovechkin that ultimately broke the Russian forward’s leg. Tom Wilson later fought McBain in retaliation.

Throughout the rest of the season, McBain played his usual style of hockey. Pitching in offensively here and there, but mainly providing a physical and two-way presence. He mainly played with Lawson Crouse and Josh Doan towards the end of the season on the third line.

McBain concluded the season with 27 points, which was a career high. His 13 goals were also a career high and placed him in the top 10 on Utah in goals. His final career best during the season was his 78 penalty minutes, which included eight fights.

While McBain’s stats speak for themselves, on the ice, the 25-year-old looked like a proven NHLer, which is a compliment for a player who has only just completed his third pro season. When reflecting on his season, McBain was proud of what he accomplished during his first season in Utah.

“Individually, I made a lot of good steps as a player moving forward,” McBain said. “It’s easy to look at stats and say you want to be here or there. I think personally, my game can be a lot more than that. It was a very positive year in a lot of aspects, as a group and individually.”

The Future

McBain is now a restricted free agent heading into the offseason. His contract negotiation should be interesting. The last time he was negotiating for a new contract, it took until a couple of hours before an arbitration hearing to ultimately agree on a contract.

This offseason, it shouldn’t be as complicated as it was then. Owner Ryan Smith has made it clear that he would like to extend McBain. McBain has also made it clear that he would like to return to the Mammoth organization.

“I love this group that we have in the locker room,” McBain said. “Obviously, I have a lot of really close relationships with the guys. You’re an RFA. It’s not like you can do too much. I think it’s an exciting group to be a part of. It’s very positive in the locker room. Hopefully, good stuff moving forward.”

Besides, the world might implode if we don’t get another season filled with McBain and roommate Dylan Guenther’s off-ice hijinks that include buying hot tubs at Costco, arguing over who’s going to buy eggs, and making fun of each other’s broken noses.

All jokes aside, re-signing McBain shouldn’t be too expensive. Despite his improvements this season, he’s still a bottom-six player who will pitch in at points of time offensively, but is there to protect his teammates and torture the opposing team. More than likely, at max, he’s looking at a three-year deal. Maybe something similar to Nic Dowd’s new extension, which is a two-year deal with an average annual value of $3 million. The two put up similar stats this season, and McBain isn’t a player who will cost a lot.

As mentioned in prior report cards, general manager Bill Armstrong told the media that the rebuild is over, and he expects the Mammoth to make the playoffs next season. McBain agrees with Armstrong’s comments and believes all uncertainty from the team’s time in Arizona is over. There are no more excuses.

“I think there’s a pretty clear-cut path of what we have to do as a team,” McBain said. “I think there’s only one goal in that locker room. The rebuild is over, and we know what we have to do now. There are no more questions about that. There’s no uncertainty anymore. It’s go time here.”

For McBain, consistency on offense would be nice. The stretch of goals in November was a level of hockey we haven’t seen him have before, but it also might be a flash in the pan. There are also plenty of players who are expected to provide offense for the Mammoth. The team expects McBain to continue being a very physical and aggressive player while getting under the skin of their opponents. It’s an important part of hockey and a winning team, and it’s his job to provide that for the Mammoth.

Final Grade

Similar to a lot of players in his role, McBain did exactly what was expected out of him this season. He chipped in a bit of offense, but mainly provided physicality and stood up for his teammates when needed.

As younger players come into the lineup in the near future, like Tij Iginla and whoever the Mammoth select fourth overall this season, they’ll need protection, especially as they play meaningful games either down the stretch or in the playoffs, which are in the team’s plans. That’s where McBain comes into play and will be important.

Overall, McBain is getting a B-minus for this season. If you’ve watched him over the past couple of years, you know what he’ll bring to the team, and he didn’t falter this season. Plus, he chipped in a couple more goals than most are used to him providing.

McBain might not be one of the biggest stars on this Mammoth team, but he’s crucial to helping shelter the younger players from enforcers and more physical players around the league. In the playoffs, the Mammoth will face players who beat their stars up. McBain will be the answer to retaliating against those physical plays. He might be a player some overlook now, but he might eventually be someone who could help the Mammoth survive a playoff series.