Utah Mammoth’s 2025-26 Report Cards: Matt Villalta

December was much of the same for Villalta. He had a 3-2-0 record in the five games across the month, posting a save percentage above .900 in two of those games, including making 39 saves against the San Jose Barracuda. Towards the end of the month, Karel Vejmelka was placed on injured reserve by the Mammoth, which prompted them to call Villalta up. The goaltender was up with the NHL squad for two days before returning to the Roadrunners.

Villalta played a season-high seven games in January, posting a 4-1-2 record during the month. In three of his four wins, the goaltender posted save percentages above .900. A game later in the month, against the San Diego Gulls, Villalta recorded his most saves in a single game in January: 30.

In February, Villalta started four games, finishing with a 1-2-0 record. It was a poor month compared to the past few, with the netminder allowing three or more goals in every single game he finished. He did get a call-up during the NHL Olympic break, staying with the Mammoth for three days before being sent down. Villalta started the final game of the month against the Barracuda before being pulled early in the second period for Stauber.

Across five games in March, it was much of the same for Villalta. He had three games with a save percentage above .900, including a great 20-save game against the Moose late in the month. On the flip side, a really poor game against the Henderson Silver Knights, where the netminder gave up six goals in the first two periods, forced head coach Steve Potvin to pull Villalta for Stauber for the third period.

With Hrabal joining the team in March, Villalta saw his game load decrease. Stauber played seven games while Hrabal played one. In April, Hrabal played four games, Stauber played three, and Villalta played only two. He lost both of his final games with the Roadrunners despite posting a .926 save percentage in the second-to-last game of the season. Villalta did get a call-up towards the end of the season and dressed in an NHL game for the lone time this year against the Calgary Flames. After backing up Vítek Vaněček, he was returned to the Roadrunners and did not play another game.

Villalta finished with a 16-12-3 record, the fewest wins and games he’s had since his time with the Reign. His save percentage was the second lowest in his career, and he only recorded one shutout, the fewest since his last season with the Reign. Villalta did record two assists, the first two regular-season points during his time with the Roadrunners.

With the conclusion of the Roadrunners’ season, Villalta got one last NHL call-up to be the Mammoth’s third-string goaltender during their postseason run. He didn’t appear in any games as the Mammoth were eliminated by the Golden Knights.

In the offseason, Villalta wasn’t signed to a new contract by the Mammoth, making him a free agent on July 1. After trading Devon Levi to the Edmonton Oilers, the Buffalo Sabres needed another goaltender in their organization. With that, Villalta signed a one-year, two-way deal with the team, ending his time with the Mammoth and Roadrunners.

The Future

After three seasons, 130 games between the regular season and playoffs, and 65 wins, Villalta’s time with the Roadrunners has concluded. During that time, the goaltender played three NHL games with the Coyotes and Mammoth, getting his first win in 2025 with Utah against the Nashville Predators.

From where Villalta was when he first joined the organization from the Reign to how he departs it, the netminder has grown so much. He’s not only a bona fide AHL starter, but he’s also become a trustworthy third-string goaltender. It showed that the Mammoth believed in him, giving most of the NHL call-ups to him over Stauber during the past two seasons.

Unfortunately, with Stauber under contract for another season and Hrabal joining the team, Villalta was the odd man out. Even though he had better stats than Stauber and the Mammoth trusted him more, it was easier to let Villalta walk than to sign him and try to trade Stauber.

What’s next for Villalta? He’ll more than likely be one of the two main goaltenders for the Rochester Americans. However, the road to the NHL will be tougher with the Sabres than it was with the Mammoth. Ahead of him in the depth chart are Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon, and Colten Ellis. Topias Leinonen, a second-round pick in 2022, might also join the fray soon. It creates a lot of competition not just for an NHL gig but also for the starting role with the Americans.

Interestingly, Villalta chose the Sabres as his landing spot. There were plenty of landing spots for a third-string goaltender around the NHL this summer, including a team like the Tampa Bay Lightning, who have scouted Villalta multiple times this past season. It creates the question of what the conversation was like between him and the Sabres. Some of the goaltenders did deal with injuries last season, so maybe that plays a part in this.

It’s a big uphill battle for Villalta. With the Sabres, it’s going to be quite hard for him to get any NHL games in. If he works hard, he might get the starting role with the Americans and just maybe get a call-up. However, if Villalta wants an NHL job one day, the Sabres might not be the best place for him, and doing whatever he can in the AHL to have more suitors on the open market next summer might be the goal.

Ultimately, Villalta is usually as cool as a cucumber and one who doesn’t stress out about the future, rather than focus on the present. When asked in the final month of the season about his expiring contract, a new contract wasn’t even on his mind.

“It’s obviously very important, but honestly, I’m not even concerned about that,” Villalta said. “That’s something down the road. The only thing I had going on today was this game. You can’t get caught up in the future things and whatnot. You got to take it one day at a time. You got to show up and be the best version of you every single day. You can’t look too far ahead. You can’t look too far in the past. You just got to live in your shoes and do what you can in the moment. That’s my mindset, and I’m sure everything will work out the way it should.”

A mindset like that will get you far, especially if you’re a goaltender. If he can keep taking it one game at a time and prove he can be the guy in Rochester, all will indeed work out the way it should for Villalta.

Final Grade

It wasn’t the best season for Villalta with the Roadrunners. He’ll be the first one to admit that. While there were some bright spots like the multiple NHL call-ups, the 49-save game in October, and the strong October and January, statistically, it was the worst season out of the three he played in Tucson.

Villalta certainly was a great third-string option and maybe, if trusted, would’ve been a better backup than Vaněček. However, on most playoff NHL teams, is he a backup goaltender? No, he’s not. He needs a platform to prove that opinion wrong, though, and unfortunately, with the Mammoth moving forward with Sebastian Cossa, Hrabal, and Vejmelka as their goalies of the future, there was no room for Villalta.

Overall, Villalta is getting a C for this season. As mentioned, it was his worst season out of the three he’s played with the Roadrunners. While it wasn’t a bad one, it was a middling one. An NHL future at this point isn’t likely, and he didn’t do anything to help his situation this season.

Perhaps Villalta will prove everyone with the Sabres and Americans and become a great goaltender in the AHL and even get some NHL games in. Maybe he’ll get a backup role next summer with another NHL team. As of right now, though, it’s hard to imagine him as more than a third-string goalie for an organization. Yes, Villalta leaves the Roadrunners as a much-improved player than when he first arrived, but there needs to be a lot more growth if he wants to have a consistent role on an NHL team.