Mammoth Recall Seven Players
Ahead of the first playoff game in team history later tonight in Vegas, the Utah Mammoth shared that several players have been called up from AHL Tucson. Forwards Andrew Agozzino, Cameron Hebig, and Ben McCartney were summoned, along with defensemen Maveric Lamoureux, Maksymilian Szuber, and Scott Perunovich. Finally, goaltender Jaxson Stauber will also join the group.
Similar to the moves made by several other playoff teams this week, Utah’s intention is for the players to serve as “Black Aces”, spending time at the highest level but not expected to play at any point. They join Daniil But and Matt Villalta, who got the call Friday. The Tucson Roadrunners had a respectable season, finishing 19th, but missed the postseason.
Lamoureux, 22, is the most notable of the group, a top prospect. Arizona’s first round choice at 29th overall in 2022, the towering righty only got into five games with the Mammoth this year, a step back from 15 in 2024-25, but held down a top-pairing role for the Roadrunners this season and was finally able to stay healthy. Into the future, Utah’s defensive core is mostly locked up, but it will allow for the Quebec native to ease into a full-time role.
Agozzino has just 53 games of NHL experience at age 35, but any dedicated fan of the game is likely familiar from his excellent AHL tenure. Making his NHL debut with Colorado in November 2014, back when Nathan MacKinnon was just a second-year-pro, the undrafted 5’10” winger has impressively stuck around in North America ever since. He’s 34th all time in AHL scoring with 662 points in 847 games, fourth best among active players. The Ontario native got into two games for Utah back in October but otherwise spent the year in Tucson. If he can earn another contract for next year, Agozzino will have the chance to play alongside Tij Iginla, son of Jarome Iginla, a teammate in his NHL debut years ago.
Hebig and McCartney, 29 and 24 respectively, were top scorers for the Roadrunners this year but neither were able to get a look on the big club. Hebig, a center, still awaits his NHL debut despite two straight seasons as Tucson’s #2 top point-getter. McCartney, a 2020 seventh-round choice of Arizona, got into two games with the Coyotes four years ago but has been in the AHL since, putting together his best professional season in 2025-26 with 51 points.
Szuber, 23, continues to show promise at the AHL level as he looks for his first action wearing a Utah uniform. The 6’3″ lefty made his NHL debut in the Coyotes’ fifth-to-last game in existence. Not only having size, Szuber has put up real offensive output in Tucson, 59 points over the last two years and has real upside as a third pairing defender.
Another defenseman who flashed offense this year, Perunovich led all defenders in scoring with 49 points in 64 games. Once a promising Blues prospect, the 27-year-old spent the entire year in the AHL and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Stauber rounds out the bunch serving as another practice goalkeeper. The 26-year-old split duty between the pipes with Villalta almost evenly in the AHL, where he had a slight edge in goals-against-average (3.07). Undrafted, he has 12 NHL games of experience both in Chicago and Utah, son of Robb Stauber, a Los Angeles Kings netminder in the early 1990s.
The crew, composed of impressive AHL veterans and younger prospects, will relish being along for the ride for an inaugural playoff series in Salt Lake.
Mammoth Recall Kevin Rooney
The Mammoth announced that forward Kevin Rooney has been recalled from AHL Tucson. They’ve opened a roster spot for him by reassigning Andrew Agozzino to Tucson after he cleared waivers today.
Rooney was a late addition to the Utah organization this offseason. He went unsigned for much of the summer before landing a professional tryout with the Devils, with whom he suited up from 2016 to 2020. While that PTO didn’t result in a contract with New Jersey, he landed a two-way deal with the Mammoth after being released. He was waived the next day and cleared, beginning the season in Tucson after technically being included on Utah’s opening night roster.
The 32-year-old Rooney has 32 goals, 28 assists, 60 points, and a -12 rating in 330 career NHL appearances with the Devils, Rangers, and Flames. While he may have had to settle for a two-way deal, he’s actually coming off a career-high 70 games played in Calgary last season. He spent the year as a fourth-line center or winger as needed, averaging 9:25 per game while recording a 5-5–10 scoring line and 109 hits.
He provides a more stable, experienced option – and one more oriented for a bottom-six checking role – than the offense-minded Agozzino was. As such, there’s a good chance he could stick around for a while, at least until Alexander Kerfoot is ready to come off injured reserve and make his season debut. It’s also a reward for a strong start in Tucson for Rooney, who has three goale and an assist in four games in what was his first minor-league action in two years.
Mammoth Place Andrew Agozzino On Waivers
The Mammoth announced Wednesday that they’ve placed forward Andrew Agozzino on waivers. If he clears on Thursday, he’ll head to AHL Tucson.
Utah will have an open roster spot either today or tomorrow, depending on whether they move Agozzino to the non-roster list while he’s on waivers. They have a few players on injured reserve, including forward Alexander Kerfoot, who was listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury at the beginning of training camp. If he’s nearing a return, that could be the impetus for Agozzino’s waiver placement.
Agozzino, 34, made an NHL opening night roster for the first time in his 15-year professional career this fall. He has 53 games of NHL experience, but before this year, he hadn’t touched NHL ice since March 2023 with the Sharks. The 5’10” winger signed a two-year, two-way deal with Utah in 2024 and played out last season with Tucson, recording 20 goals and 43 points in 55 games.
The Ontario native has long been a premier point producer in the minors. In a remarkable 791 career AHL games, second-most among active NHL/AHLers, he has a 265-358–623 scoring line. That’s quite the career for an undrafted player, who first landed a pro contract from the Avalanche’s minor-league affiliate back in 2012. Utah is his sixth NHL organization, following stops in Pittsburgh, Anaheim, Ottawa, and San Jose.
Agozzino appeared in the Mammoth’s first two games of the season but hasn’t played since, sitting as a scratch in five straight. He went 3-for-7 on faceoffs and averaged just 6:08 of ice time per game, staying off the scoresheet aside from a block and four hits. Utah was out-attempted 14-5 at even strength in his limited minutes.
Waiver Wire: 10/3/24
All 12 players placed on waivers yesterday passed through unclaimed, Chris Johnston of The Athletic and TSN reports. PuckPedia relays that 17 new names hit the wire today for teams to claim over the next 24 hours:
Calgary Flames
F Walker Duehr
F Dryden Hunt
D Jarred Tinordi
Florida Panthers
F Rasmus Asplund
D Tobias Björnfot
F Zac Dalpe
D Jaycob Megna
Nashville Predators
Seattle Kraken
Toronto Maple Leafs
Utah Hockey Club
F Andrew Agozzino
D Patrik Koch
F Ben McCartney
Winnipeg Jets
F Axel Jonsson-Fjällby
D Simon Lundmark
F Mason Shaw
F Dominic Toninato
Utah Signs Andrew Agozzino, Travis Barron To Two-Way Deals
Utah is bringing in some more minor-league reinforcements ahead of their first season. Journeyman forward Andrew Agozzino has inked a two-year, two-way deal, while ex-Coyotes minor league winger Travis Barron will remain with AHL Tucson next season on a one-year, two-way deal as they switch affiliations from Arizona to Utah. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Agozzino, 33, is a premier AHL scoring forward and often sits high on the list of potential recalls with whatever club he happens to be signed with. He’s bounced around plenty of times throughout his career, with Utah becoming the sixth different team he’s signed an NHL contract with and his fourth team in the past four years.
He spent last season with the Ducks but didn’t see NHL ice for the first time since 2017-18. He didn’t let it get him down, leading AHL San Diego in scoring with 26 goals and 64 points in 72 games. He won’t be much of a factor in the NHL for Utah in their inaugural campaign, but he’s an important reinforcement for Tucson and should be a first-line fixture for their minor league club.
Barron, 25, will stick around after spending the last three seasons on AHL and NHL contracts with the Roadrunners. A checking winger first and foremost, he’s contributed 29 goals and 62 points in 182 games for Tucson since signing with them in 2021. Utah becomes his third NHL team after previously signing deals with the Avalanche and Coyotes – he was a Colorado seventh-round pick back in 2016 and suited up for their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles in parts of three seasons.
Utah now has 37 standard player contracts signed for 2024-25 after the moves, 13 short of the limit, per CapFriendly.
Snapshots: Ehlers, Arizona, Anaheim, Washington
Winnipeg Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers will be healthy for the team’s opening game against the Calgary Flames. The star has been dealing with neck spasms and wore a non-contact jersey through part of training camp. Ehlers missed multiple pre-season games, calling into question his availability for opening night, although it seems he’s mounted a recovery in the second half of camp.
Ehlers has had a closer relationship with injured reserve in recent years, spending six weeks on the list with a hernia last season. He scored 38 points in the 45 games he did appear in during the 2022-23 season. This was a 69-point scoring pace, which would have been the most points of Ehlers’ eight-year NHL career. His career totals are up to 523 games, 176 goals, and 396 points. His scoring is an important attribute of Winnipeg’s top-six. The team will hope he’s moved on from his injury bug as he suits up for the start of their 2023-24 campaign.
Other notes from around the league:
- The Arizona Coyotes have shifted some players around as they trim down to a final NHL roster. Michael Kesselring, Victor Soderstrom, Vladislav Kolyachonok, and Zach Sanford have all been assigned to Tuscon in the AHL.
- Anaheim has assigned Andrew Agozzino and Alex Stalock, both NHL veterans, to their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls.
- The Washington Capitals have made a series of moves, assigning Max Pacioretty to long-term injured reserve, Joel Edmundson to injured reserve, and Hardy Haman Aktell, Aliaksei Protas, and Connor McMichael to Hershey in the AHL. They have also recalled Riley Sutter to the NHL roster.
Anaheim Ducks Acquire Andrew Agozzino
The Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks have completed a swap of minor-league players. Anaheim is acquiring veteran forward Andrew Agozzino from San Jose in exchange for the negotiating rights to veteran defenseman Andrej Sustr, who is set to hit the unrestricted free-agent market on July 1st.
Sharks assistant general manager Joe Will issued the following statement regarding the transaction:
Andrew requested a trade after the season, citing personal reasons, and we wanted to facilitate his request. We thank Andrew for everything he did with the organization last year and we wish him the best of luck moving forward.”
In trading Agozzino, 32, the Sharks have dealt the captain of their AHL affiliate and a player who is under contract through next season at a $775k cap hit. An undrafted player, Agozzino has long been a quality scorer at the junior and AHL level, ever since his days with the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs.
He’s a three-time AHL All-Star who led the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda in scoring with 26 goals and 61 points in 63 games. In 664 career AHL games Agozzino has 516 points, and he’s worn a letter at pretty much every stop of his AHL career.
At the NHL level Agozzino has struggled to stick on a roster for an extended period, and he has just 12 points in 51 career games. He did manage to contribute three points in four NHL games this past year with the Sharks, but despite his impressive AHL form the Sharks gave him his first call-up in late March. Agozzino is likely hopeful he’ll get an increased NHL opportunity in Anaheim.
Ducks GM Pat Verbeek has looked to overhaul his AHL affiliate this offseason, and he started in April when he hired a new head coach. Now, he’s added a valued leader and potential top scorer to his farm team.
For the Sharks, the motivation behind this deal seems to be largely an effort to do right by a veteran player who had a strong season with their affiliate. There’s no word on whether the Sharks plan on signing the six-foot-seven Sustr, though the 32-year-old does bring a valuable 361 games of NHL experience.
Players and agents across the league take notice of trades like this, when a team goes out of its way to help a player. By trading Agozzino to a potentially more favorable opportunity they’ve done exactly that. It’s possible the true value in this trade for the Sharks lies there.
San Jose Sharks Recall Thomas Bordeleau
The San Jose Sharks, coming off an impressive 3-0 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday, have added more young skill to the lineup. Thomas Bordeleau has been recalled from the minor leagues, just in time to face the Vegas Golden Knights this evening. Andrew Agozzino was reassigned in the meantime.
Golden Knights fans will likely remember the young forward from last year’s stretch run when he scored a beautiful shootout winner, sending Vegas home with just one point. The club would lose each of the next two games in shootouts to barely miss out on a playoff berth.
Bordeleau, 21, was the 38th overall pick in 2020, just before he headed to the University of Michigan to play with a loaded group of young stars. He blossomed into a top prospect at the school, and stepped out of the college ranks in 2022 to high expectations.
After recording five assists in eight games for the Sharks down the stretch, he has spent this year in the minor leagues, rounding out his game while the big club rebuilds. In 64 matches with the Barracuda, he has 22 goals and 41 points.
There seems to be a good chance that Bordeleau will be a regular in the Sharks lineup next season, but for now, he’s still looking for his first NHL goal.
San Jose Sharks Reassign William Eklund, Recall Andrew Agozzino
The San Jose Sharks have officially sent top prospect William Eklund back to the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda, recalling forward Andrew Agozzino in his place, per a team tweet today.
The move comes after Eklund skated in eight games this month on his first call-up of the year, recording two goals and an assist. Sending Eklund back to the minors before he plays his 10th game this year will once again defer the start of his entry-level contract to next season, the last time San Jose is eligible to make such a maneuver with him.
Drafted seventh overall in 2021, Eklund’s yet to see extended time in the NHL, but a move to North America this season has proved fruitful after spending 2021-22 in Sweden. In his first season in the AHL with the Barracuda, he’s cemented himself as one of the team’s best players with 17 goals and 41 points in 52 games.
San Jose certainly got the most out of Eklund during his call-up, routinely deploying him over 20 minutes per game. With that sort of production in the minors at age 20, Eklund could very well cement his place on the Sharks full-time next year.
The only player with more points on the Barracuda than Eklund is Agozzino, who gets his first recall to the NHL after signing with the Sharks last offseason. The 32-year-old minor-league veteran has 52 points in 55 games with the Barracuda this year and is nearing 50 games of NHL experience.
Waivers: 09/30/22
After waivers opened yesterday, quite a few players have ended up on the wire today. Teams keep making cuts to their rosters, and any veteran player needs to clear before being assigned to the minor leagues. Here are the names on waivers today.
Dallas Stars
Riley Barber
Ben Gleason
Tanner Kero
Jerad Rosburg
Joseph Cecconi
Rhett Gardner
Detroit Red Wings
Florida Panthers
New York Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers
San Jose Sharks
Tampa Bay Lightning
Daniel Walcott
Darren Raddysh
Maxime Lagace
Trevor Carrick
Washington Capitals
Michael Sgarbossa
Riley Sutter
Mike Vecchione
Hunter Shepard