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Julian Lutz, Tucson Roadrunners (Photo credit: Bennett Silvyn)

Utah Mammoth’s 2024-25 Report Cards: Julian Lutz

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Chase Beardsley | Last updated Jul 23, 2025 10:05 AM ET

The inaugural season for the Utah Hockey Club (now the Utah Mammoth) is officially over. The team finished with a 38-31-13 record while their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners, finished with a 34-32-4-2 record, which was good enough for the seventh playoff spot in the Pacific Division. The Roadrunners went on to lose in the first round of the playoffs 2-1 to the Abbotsford Canucks.

With the season in the books, it’s time to look at the 48 Utah players who were under an NHL contract (excluding Connor Ingram for obvious reasons) and grade their 2024-25 seasons. We’ll also reflect on how they did during the 2023-24 season and see if they improved or did worse, along with what their future holds. We’re going alphabetically by first name. Next up is Julian Lutz.

Last Season

After finishing his 2022-23 season in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), Lutz came over to North America to play in the United States Hockey League (USHL) with the Green Bay Gamblers. Prior to the start of the USHL season, Lutz participated in his first couple of NHL preseason games with the Arizona Coyotes.

Lutz immediately made an impact on the Gamblers, scoring his first USHL goal in his second game and scoring a hat trick in the next game. In his first four games, he had seven points.

Lutz continued his dominance throughout the season, having multiple multi-point games throughout the months of October and November. His best stretch of games came from the first week of December to the first week of March, where he produced points in 17-straight games. In those 17 games, Lutz accumulated 30 points.

The German forward went on a streak once again in the last couple of weeks in March, tallying points in seven-straight games. In those seven games, he had 14 points. Lutz finished his season with 68 points in 50 games (24 goals, 44 assists.) He led the Gamblers in assists and points and was 12th in points in the USHL.

In the first round of the playoffs, the Gamblers faced off against the Muskegon Lumberjacks. Lutz recorded two points in the first game of the series and another in the second. However, he only produced one more point as the Lumberjacks dispatched the Gamblers in six games.

In the offseason, Lutz made history as the second-ever player to be signed by Utah after they were moved from Arizona. He signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the team, ending his time in the USHL after one season.

This Season

Lutz continued his offense from the USHL in Utah’s rookie showcase as he tied for the lead scorer across three games, which included a three-point outing against the Vegas Golden Knights. Once again, Lutz participated in some NHL preseason games before being sent down to the AHL.

In his first four AHL games, Lutz had three points. Unfortunately for him, things went downhill from there. He had to wait five more games to record his next point. Just a couple of games later, he went down with an injury that kept him out of action until late January.

When he returned from injury, Lutz continued to struggle, especially offensively. Around the middle of February, he started to play a bit better. He had two points in a series against the Henderson Silver Knights, where he also produced his first AHL goal. Lutz picked up his second goal six games later.

pic.twitter.com/zuLGE2bosY
— Tucson Roadrunners (@RoadrunnersAHL) February 17, 2025

Heading into March, Lutz looked much better than he had in the first half of the season. While he still didn’t look like the dominant player he was in Green Bay, he looked much more comfortable. Flashes of offense began to show as he tallied four points in five games at the end of March.

While Lutz only registered points in one more game in the regular season, it was in the most critical game of the season for the Roadrunners. In order to make the playoffs, the Roadrunners had to win their final game of the season against the Colorado Eagles. In a do-or-die game, Lutz produced two points to help his team win and clinch the final playoff spot in the Pacific Division.

Julian Lutz, Tucson Roadrunners (Photo credit: Bennett Silvyn)

In his first 47 AHL games, Lutz had 13 points. He failed to record a single point across three playoff games as the Roadrunners’ season ended in round one of the AHL playoffs.

The Future

Next season will be an interesting one for Lutz. While success isn’t critical, it is needed for his development. In Green Bay, Lutz was an offensive powerhouse. In Tucson this past season, he was often very quiet and struggled at first to adjust at the AHL level.

Now that he has that first pro season under his belt, the next step is to start producing at a higher rate, along with trying to avoid missing big chunks of the season with injury. While Lutz wasn’t an all-star in the DEL, he is certainly better than a 13-point scorer.

Lutz will be back with the Roadrunners for his second season in the organization. It’s still yet to be determined if the team will bring back players like Sammy Walker and Egor Sokolov, so as of right now, Lutz will most likely have more ice time. That should help him produce at a better rate, along with helping him adjust even more to playing in the AHL. Perhaps having his good friend J.J. Peterka in the organization will help.

As of right now, it shouldn’t be expected for Lutz to appear in any games for the Mammoth this season. However, anything can change in an instant. What can be expected for Lutz is that he will be a big part of the Roadrunners and their quest to continue their three-year playoff . As of right now, it looks like a different team than they iced last year, so having the young German step up would be great for Roadrunners head coach Steve Potvin.

Final Grade

It was a tale of two seasons for Lutz. His first half of the season wasn’t good at all, and the injury that took him out of action for December and most of January didn’t help. However, he looked much better in the second half. He showed up in big games, produced a bit more, and generally looked better during play, putting himself in key areas to help the Roadrunners’ offense.

After a fantastic season in the USHL, Lutz’s first pro season was disappointing. He came into the season looking like one of the better prospects in the Mammoth’s system. While he still has the tools to be that, questions around his health have only multiplied. If this season was about Lutz trying to adjust to the play in the AHL, next season has to be about maintaining a strong everyday presence in the league.

Overall, Lutz is getting a D-plus for his season. 13 points is just not good enough, especially for a second-rounder who just came off a dominant 68-point season in the USHL. A little bit of slack needs to be given since the USHL and the AHL are completely different leagues, but at the same time, Lutz needs to be better this season for his and the team’s success.

With more ice time most likely coming his way, Lutz’s 2025-26 season will be one to keep an eye on. If he can rediscover his offensive touch, he could be part of the Mammoth’s bottom six sooner rather than later. As of right now, he needs to focus on growing his overall game. With his spot in the Roadrunners’ lineup improving, the future could be bright for Lutz. He’ll just need to prove this rough season was a fluke.