Utah Mammoth’s 2025-26 Report Cards: Logan Cooley

After his big game against the Blue Jackets, Cooley went on a cold spell, producing only two assists in his next nine games. He did score a goal against the Washington Capitals, but it was what happened in the next game that changed the rest of his season.

Ahead of a game against the Los Angeles Kings, Cooley was placed alongside Dylan Guenther and Kailer Yamamoto. While he had a lot of experience playing with Guenther, the duo had multiple linemates throughout the season, including JJ Peterka and Daniil But. Cooley even found himself centering the top line at points in the season. However, with Yamamoto, the two young forwards had someone with very similar speed and skill, with a history of playing alongside top players.

The change paid off immediately. Cooley scored two goals against the Kings and proceeded to produce 12 points in the final nine games of the season. Half of those points were goals, which helped Cooley reach the 20-goal plateau for the third time in his career.

Despite missing 28 games, Cooley ended up tied for fifth in goals on the team with 24 and seventh on the team in points (43). He was also third on the Mammoth in power play goals (six) and fifth in points per game played (0.80). 

It was certainly Cooley’s toughest NHL season to date. He had some crazy highs but also some crazy lows, including dealing with a major injury for the first time in his career. It wasn’t an easy thing to go through. However, the forward learned a lot from it that made him mentally better and understand what it takes to come back from a big injury like that.

“Going through that injury, it made me a lot mentally stronger,” Cooley said. “It wasn’t the easiest thing. It was my first time dealing with something like that. As I got through that, it definitely helped build me mentally.”

With the Mammoth clinching a spot in the postseason, Cooley got to play playoff hockey for the first time in his career. He had a hot start, scoring the first-ever playoff goal in Mammoth franchise history in Game 1. In Game 2, he scored again, tallying the game-winning goal to help his team win their first-ever playoff game in franchise history. In Game 3, he produced an assist as the Mammoth took a 2-1 lead in the series.

However, Cooley was offensively absent in the final three games of the series as the Golden Knights clawed their way back and took out the Mammoth in six games. While the forward was noticeably physical across the six games, it did hurt him at times as he took some costly penalties. At the end of the day, everyone on the team wishes that they had played longer, but it was a great experience for everyone, especially the younger players.

“You have to get that taste to really understand what it’s like,” Cooley said. “Honestly coming into it, I didn’t really know what to expect. You see the games, and it looks a lot more physical, but once you’re actually in it, it’s night and day compared to the regular season, and something that we all can learn from.”

The Future

With his extension getting done midseason, the future is pretty clear for Cooley if it wasn’t already. He is expected to be one of the top players for the Mammoth for at least the next eight seasons. He’ll be one of the two top centers for the team and more than likely play on the same line as Guenther for the entirety of their extensions.

Scaling it back a bit, the goal for Cooley next season is to stay healthy. There were plenty of scary moments for the forward throughout the season, with the big one being the lower-body injury. The Mammoth struggled at points with Cooley out of the lineup. He’s a star player for this team, so continuing to bulk up, get more physical, and not make risky plays needs to be on the agenda for the forward.

The other thing Cooley needs to do is find a way to continue to produce throughout a string of big games. He produced well down the stretch and in the first three games of the playoffs. However, he was absent in the final three games against the Golden Knights as they applied pressure on his line. Continuing to find a way to remain effective while not taking costly penalties is something Cooley needs to do the next time he’s playing in the postseason.

“They did a good job of keying in on our line a little bit more after the first couple games,” Cooley said. “I couldn’t really adjust that well. I think that’s another big learning moment for me, finding ways to still produce, still play my game when maybe teams start to put more focus, especially on our line.”

All of that is just part of Cooley’s development as he gets more mature as a player and more experienced. He will learn how to consistently thrive in the postseason and how to stay healthy while playing a solid two-way game. When the Mammoth have their complete team surrounding him, expect him to lead the charge to a long playoff run.

For now, Cooley is back home in Pittsburgh, taking some time off. A reminder that the forward has had a pretty long season. He went to the World Championship last summer, winning gold with Team USA. After that, he had an injury-ridden preseason and regular season, followed by the playoffs. Rest is ultimately what Cooley needed this summer, a key reason why he didn’t return to the World Championship.

That’s not to say Cooley hasn’t been practicing. He’s with his normal group in Pittsburgh featuring Vincent Trocheck, whom the forward helped convince to allow a trade to the Mammoth to happen. Cooley is excited to play with his fellow Pennsylvania native not just this summer but during the 2026-27 season as well.

“I’m going back home in Pittsburgh,” Cooley said. “I’ll take some time off, maybe golf, see some family and friends that I haven’t seen in a while. I got a great trainer, a guy that I’ve been using for the last two years. We have a great group on the ice. There’s definitely a lot of things that I’m looking to work on and add into my game.”

It’ll be exciting to see how Cooley fits into the top six next season. Will the line with him, Guenther, and Yamamoto be reunited? Perhaps he’ll play with his friend Trocheck. Maybe even Tij Iginla could slot in on his line. Either way, Cooley’s skill and speed will once again be a big weapon for the Mammoth as he continues to blossom into a top center in the NHL.

Final Grade

Cooley only playing 54 games this season is disappointing, which resulted in the lowest point totals in his career thus far. However, when the forward was in the lineup, he played some really good hockey and was always a threat on the ice. Games like the one in October against the Blues and the one in November against the Golden Knights show just how dominant Cooley can be.

Especially down the stretch and in the first couple of games in the playoffs, Cooley reminded everyone just how important he is to this Mammoth team. There is a reason why he got such a big extension. More and more offense is expected out of the forward as he continues to grow and develop.

Overall, Cooley is getting an A-minus for this season. The forward’s production was just as good as ever even in a limited sample size. While his injury and postseason play in the final three games certainly weren’t highlights of his season, his improved physicality and ability to drive plays were. This might be a season he wants to forget because he played 21 fewer games than the year prior, but there were a lot of things to be proud of.

Heading into the 2026-27 season, eyes are on Cooley to do a few things. Play around 70-80 games, become a point-per-game player, and challenge for the team lead in points. All of those things are feasible for the young forward if he stays healthy. As Cooley heads into the prime of his career, Mammoth fans will get to see him turn heads every time he plays because he’s that special of a player who can really take this team far.