The Mammoth have signed winger Brandon Tanev to a three-year, $7.5MM contract worth $2.5MM per season, reports Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The team also announced they’ve signed defenseman Nate Schmidt to a three-year contract worth $3.5MM per season.
Just like last offseason, Utah is quickly solidifying its defensive core and strengthening the bottom six of its forward group. Impressively, Schmidt parlayed a one-year league minimum agreement with the Florida Panthers into a three-year contract with the Mammoth.
There’s reason to believe he’s earned that deal. Schmidt scored five goals and 19 points in 80 games for the Panthers last year with a +4 rating, while averaging 16:32 of ice time per game. His possession quality skyrocketed to a 57.4% CorsiFor% at even strength, and he’ll come to Salt Lake City as a Stanley Cup champion.
Unfortunately, Schmidt’s signing could spell the end for Juuso Välimäki’s time in Utah. After scoring four goals and 34 points in 78 games for the Arizona Coyotes in 2022-23, Välimäki’s output dropped to two goals and five points in 43 games with Utah last season. According to PuckPedia, the Mammoth now has nine defensemen signed to one-way contracts for the 2025-26 season. This supports the idea that Välimäki could be buried or traded to another organization.
Meanwhile, the Mammoth have also added Tanev, who was one of the better bottom-six options on the market this summer. He’s been a quality physical winger for the last several years, scoring 33 goals and 73 points in 227 games between the Seattle Kraken and Winnipeg Jets, with 506 hits.
He has an element to his game that the Mammoth desperately need if they hope to make a statement next season. Utah only had five players deliver more than 100 hits last season, and one of them, Nick Bjugstad, already departed the team earlier today. Now, with Tanev in hand, the Mammoth could put together one of the game’s most physical lines by placing Tanev next to center Jack McBain.
PHR’s Brennan McClain contributed significantly to this article.
Tanev is so entertaining to watch, One of my favs. Although the Mammoth might have keep a couple of roster spots open if But, And or Iginla crack the lineup.
Same. I was kinda hoping he’d find his way back to the kraken. Don’t know who the mammoth have in the bottom 6, but Turbo’s forecheck alone justifies the pickup.
I truly thought Jack McBain would get an offer sheet.
Good pickup.
Damn, there was reports Tampa was interested in him but obviously that didn’t come to fruition. Good signing however by Utah as Tanev is a high energy guy with some real grit in his game.
Good signing and seems like a great add to balance some of their high end skill forwards. Their team is starting to look quite nice if the young guys continue to develop.
People tried to tell me that losing both Jared McCann AND Brandon Tanev for nothing in order to keep Jeff Carter and Teddy Blueger was a good move by Ron Hextall.
Then those same people said Brock McGinn was just as good.
Imagine actually watching games and thinking any of that.
Mammoth doing some nice work here.
Nate Schmidt also. Army’s on it
I believe Utah signed three defenders today, Are they revamping the blueline, Plus, There is Nikishin, And Lamoureux.
Not Nikishin, Simashev. My bad.