Injury Notes: Hayton, McBain, Paul, Ehlers, Nikishin
There could be some alterations to the Mammoth’s forward group as they look to stave off elimination at home in Game 6 tonight against the Golden Knights. Center Barrett Hayton returned to the lineup for Game 5 after missing over a month with an upper-body injury, but he’s been downgraded to a game-time decision for tonight as he continues to be on a pain management regimen, head coach Andre Tourigny said (via Cole Bagley of KSL Sports). Hayton played a minimal role in Wednesday’s double overtime loss, logging 12:49 of ice time as he shifted to the wing on the fourth line with Kevin Stenlund and Brandon Tanev. He had a -1 rating and went 6-for-14 (42.9%) on faceoffs. As for McBain, he missed time down the stretch with a lower-body injury before returning for Game 1, although he hasn’t played since. It’s unclear if he reaggravated that one or if it’s a different ailment keeping him out. The regular season saw McBain, 26, produce nine goals and 25 points in 75 games with a team-leading 271 hits in a bottom-six role.
More lineup notes from around the league as the first round nears a close:
- Lightning center Nick Paul was a late scratch for their Game 5 loss due to illness. However, his absence will end there as Renaud Lavoie of TVA reports he’s back in the lineup for Game 6. With Tampa trailing 3-2 and facing a fourth consecutive first-round elimination, Paul has yet to record a point in the series and has a -2 rating after a wildly disappointing regular season that saw his ice time slashed en route to posting a 7-8–15 scoring line and a -15 rating in 51 games.
- Nikolaj Ehlers wasn’t on hand for the Hurricanes when they dispatched the Senators in a sweep last weekend. After a long rest, Carolina’s second-round tilt against the Flyers will get underway tomorrow. Today, head coach Rod Brind’Amour said it “looks like” Ehlers will be available after missing Game 4 against Ottawa with a lower-body injury (via Walt Ruff of NHL.com) – along with defenseman Alexander Nikishin, who left that contest due to a concussion. Despite averaging over 20 minutes per game, Ehlers had been limited to one assist through his first three playoff outings as a Cane. His checking line with Jordan Staal and Jordan Martinook was spectacular at controlling play, however, logging a 62.2% expected goals share, per MoneyPuck. Meanwhile, the rookie Nikishin was held without a point in the series but eked out a +1 rating while averaging 16:31 of ice time per game.
Evening Notes: Mammoth, Suter, Carlson, Ellis
Even though it’ll take until the last game of the regular season to determine who they’ll face in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Utah Mammoth have a few unfortunate confirmations already. According to Cole Bagley of KSL Sports, forwards Barrett Hayton and Jack McBain are still a few weeks away from returning.
Hayton has been dealing with an upper-body injury since March 26th, whereas McBain has only been out a little over a week with a lower-body injury. Regardless, depending on how many weeks it takes, both Hayton and McBain may miss the opening round of the playoffs for the Mammoth.
Although each player is a respectable tertiary scorer for Utah, the team’s center depth, particularly on the bottom two lines, will be tested. Additionally, the Mammoth will significantly miss McBain’s physicality, especially in a postseason environment. The 6’4″, 219 lbs center leads Utah in hits this season with 271.
Additional evening notes:
- Eligible for an extension or potentially a trade this summer, St. Louis Blues forward Pius Suter is preparing early. According to PuckPedia, Suter has changed his representation to Judd Moldaver. Moldaver represents some of the sport’s top athletes, such as Auston Matthews, Connor McDavid, and Zach Werenski.
- As mentioned in a previous article, conditional draft picks included in trades will finalize now that every potential team has qualified for a postseason spot. Now that the Anaheim Ducks have qualified for the playoffs, the Washington Capitals will acquire Anaheim’s 2026 first-round pick from the John Carlson trade, instead of Anaheim having an option for this year’s or next (via PuckPedia).
- Additionally, the San Jose Sharks will receive elevated draft compensation, too (via PuckPedia). In the Ryan Ellis contract dump earlier this year between the Sharks and the Philadelphia Flyers, the Flyers allowed the Sharks to receive the better of their 2026 sixth-round pick or Columbus’ 2026 sixth-round pick. Since the Flyers qualified for the playoffs, San Jose will receive Columbus’ sixth-round selection in the upcoming draft (via PuckPedia).
Mammoth Assign Kevin Rooney To AHL
April 11: The Mammoth announced that Rooney was returned to the Roadrunners. Despite being up for a little more than a week, he didn’t get into any games, keeping his total this season at one.
April 3: The Mammoth recalled center Kevin Rooney from AHL Tucson on Friday, per a team announcement.
His addition to the roster comes after fellow middleman Jack McBain left Thursday night’s 6-2 win over the Kraken in the second period with a lower-body injury. It wasn’t clear what caused the departure, and the team hasn’t issued an update on his status yet. They likely won’t until they hold their morning skate before tomorrow’s clash with the Canucks.
In any event, Utah is guaranteed at least 13 healthy forwards this weekend if McBain has to miss time. Adding Rooney to the mix allows them to insert a natural center into the lineup in his place, rather than shifting anyone from the wing. Enforcer Liam O’Brien was their lone healthy scratch up front last night, and Alexander Kerfoot is their only regular winger with tangible experience down the middle who could shift over.
Utah has recalled Rooney several times this season; this is now his sixth distinct recall. He’s cleared waivers twice during that time but has rarely been needed in the lineup, only dressing once back on Nov. 28 against the Stars, scoring a goal in his Mammoth debut. That may change now with their specific need for centermen – Barrett Hayton has also been sidelined for the last three games with an upper-body injury and is week-to-week.
Rooney, a veteran of 331 NHL games over parts of 10 seasons, landed a two-way deal with Utah at the beginning of the regular season after being released from his professional tryout with the Devils. The 32-year-old has been a shrewd pickup for Tucson, posting 12 goals and 23 points through 43 games. A grinder, he was never that much of an offensive centerpiece in his previous minor-league stints.
Mammoth’s Jack McBain, MacKenzie Weegar Out
The Utah Mammoth announced two changes to the lineup just before Saturday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks. Center Jack McBain missed the game with a lower-body injury that has him designated out week-to-week. Defenseman MacKenzie Weegar is also out as he nurses a day-to-day, upper-body injury. The pair of injuries prompted a few lineup moves, including Liam O’Brien and Nick DeSimone coming down from the press box.
McBain leaves behind an important hole in Utah’s bottom-six. He leads the Mammoth with 271 hits – 73 more than Lawson Crouse in second place. McBain has also notched 25 points, 84 penalty minutes, and a 51.3 faceoff percentage. He brings a physical presence and two-way impact that will be tough to replace.
The Mammoth promoted Alexander Kerfoot to the third-line in McBain’s absence, a nice reward after Kerfoot scored five points in his last five games. O’Brien will make up for some of McBain’s physical presence. He has racked up 93 hits – fourth-most on the team – in just 32 games, despite averaging only nine minutes of ice time a game. His physical presence, across from Brandon Tanev on the fourth line, could help balance a Mammoth third line that will be more geared towards speed with a tandem of Kerfoot and JJ Peterka.
Weegar has stepped into a top-pair role since joining the Mammoth at the Trade Deadline. He has scored four points and averaged 21 minutes of ice time in 13 games with the Mammoth. That scoring brings Weegar up to 25 points in 73 games on the year, well below the 47 points he put up in 81 games last season. Sean Durzi moved up Mikhail Sergachev‘s flank in Weegar’s absence. Durzi has 25 points in 54 games this season, including three in his last six games. While he looks to spark his scoring in elevated minutes, DeSimone will look to build on seven points in 37 games, both career-highs.
Utah also recalled top prospect Dmitriy Simashev before Saturday’s game. He could be an option should Utah need a spark with Weegar out of the lineup. The AHL rookie ranks second in scoring among Tucson Roadrunners defensemen with 35 points in 40 games. That scoring hasn’t yet translated to the top flight, though, with Simashev only boasting one point in the first 25 games of his NHL career. He will fill the role of extra defenseman on Saturday night and will compete with Ian Cole and DeSimone if he sticks on the roster through Utah’s upcoming three-game homestand.
Mammoth Notes: AHL Franchise, Peterka, Cooley, McBain
Cole Bagley of KSL Sports reports that Utah Mammoth owner Ryan Smith has discussed bringing an AHL team to Utah; however, it is likely years away. In the process, Smith said he and Smith Entertainment Group have considered the best locations in Utah for the franchise, and that somewhere “up north” stands out; perhaps Salt Lake City or St. George.
With the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies (West Valley City) reaching 20 years in the state, the prospect of Utah continuing to grow the game with an additional professional team is an exciting concept. Hypothetically, they would join an exclusive club (California, New York, and Pennsylvania) as the only states to hold a team in all three of the top North American hockey leagues.
Such news may raise a few eyebrows of those within the Tucson Roadrunners, the Mammoth’s current AHL affiliate, but only time will tell what the future may hold.
AHL or not, Smith has his eyes on growing the game in Utah, akin to markets such as Dallas, Nashville, and Vegas, which have become youth hockey hotbeds after the NHL came to town. Bagley added that Smith’s offer to help build more rinks in Utah has been well received, as he says he has heard from 20 different communities that have shown interest.
Finally, Bagley provided injury updates for the club as they wind up for their second season. Key offseason acquisition JJ Peterka returned to the ice today, per Bagley, having missed Saturday’s practice. The 23-year-old looks to build off a 68-point campaign in Buffalo last year and star for the Mammoth.
Logan Cooley and Jack McBain remain sidelined, Head Coach Andre Tourigny told Bagley. Neither is expected out long term, but they will not play tomorrow vs the Kings.
Logan Cooley Among Four Mammoth Facing Injury Updates
The Utah Mammoth issued a string of injury updates on Monday morning, after playing through their first preseason game against the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday. All injury updates come courtesy of Cole Bagley of KSL Sports. Most notably, top center Logan Cooley was designated as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury sustained on a check from behind from Avalanche winger Zakhar Bardakov. Cooley left the ice after the hit, while teammate Lawson Crouse stepped in to fight Bardakov.
In addition to Cooley, forwards Jack McBain and Barrett Hayton have also been dubbed day-to-day with undisclosed injuries. Finally, defenseman Nate Schmidt is expected to be back in the lineup after being previously designated as day-to-day due to maintenance.
Much like the list of injuries, their ramification on Utah’s daily lineup will be a lot to take in. Cooley is set to return to the team’s top-line center role when the regular season kicks off – a spot he cemented with a fantastic 25 goals and 65 points in 75 games last season. He continued the all-star performance into the summer, netting 12 points in 10 games at the World Championship, tying him with Frank Nazar for the scoring lead on a USA squad that went on to win the tournament. Mammoth head coach Andre Tourigny told the media, including Bagley, that he didn’t appreciate the blindside hit on Cooley in the preseason opener – and that he’s hoping Cooley’s absence is “really short”.
Those same hopes will be extended to McBain and Hayton, who seem well-set to fill the two center positions behind Cooley. Few details have emerged about either injury, though both players will be worth close attention from the Mammoth faithful. Both set career-highs in scoring while appearing in all 82 games of last season. For Hayton, that was marked by 20 goals and 46 points on the year, while McBain posted 13 goals and 27 points. With no indication otherwise, they should be set to return to camp activities within the week – though missing potentially all three of the lineup’s top centers will be a tough blow even in the short-term.
Utah will find their silver lining through the return of bulky defender Schmidt, who will make his debut with the Mammoth in his next game. He filled a bottom-pair role, and won the Stanley Cup, with the Florida Panthers last season. En route, Schmidt was able to rack up 19 points in 80 regular season games and 12 points in 23 playoff games. He’ll hope to bring his spark from the postseason straight to his new role with the Mammoth. If he can do that, Schmidt could find a way to usurp Ian Cole as the team’s second-pair left-defenseman. If not, he’ll face firm competition for a lineup role from rookie Dmitri Simashev, who scored six points in 56 KHL games last season.
Arbitration Schedule For Remaining Cases Finalized
The arbitration hearing dates for the few remaining unsettled cases have been finalized, PuckPedia reports:
F Kaapo Kakko, Kraken: July 25
G Arvid Soderblom, Blackhawks: July 28
F Maxim Tsyplakov, Islanders: July 29
D Dylan Samberg, Jets: July 30
D Conor Timmins, Sabres: Aug. 2
F Nicholas Robertson, Maple Leafs: Aug. 3
D Jayden Struble, Canadiens: Aug. 3
There are only seven out of this year’s initial 11 player-elected arbitration cases still without a resolution as the hearings approach. Winnipeg had three of the players on that list and has settled with two of them, reaching a two-year, $3.7MM settlement with Morgan Barron and a substantial six-year, $45MM deal for Gabriel Vilardi.
The Ducks also had two arbitration cases on that list, but settled with both of them in the past few days. Depth defenseman Drew Helleson got a two-year, $2.2MM contract, while emerging star goaltender Lukas Dostal signed a five-year, $32.5MM deal.
There were two team-elected arbitration cases this year, the Sabres’ Bowen Byram and the Mammoth’s Jack McBain, but both have been settled.
As for the seven players above, they can continue talks with their clubs on a new deal until the hearing begins. After that, they’re bound to the arbitrator’s decision.
Players who reach an arbitration hearing are only eligible to sign a one or two-year contract. Since the player filed for arbitration in all seven cases above, the team gets to choose the contract length after receiving the arbitrator’s decision on the AAV. However, only Robertson, Soderblom, and Struble would be eligible for two-year contracts. Everyone else is one year away from being eligible for unrestricted free agency status, so they can’t receive a multi-year arbitration award.
If the arbitration award exceeds $4.85MM in any case, the team can decline it and allow the player to become an unrestricted free agent.
Mammoth Sign Forward Jack McBain to Five-Year Contract
The Utah Mammoth have signed forward Jack McBain to a five-year contract with an annual AAV of $4.25MM, per a team release.
The 25-year-old McBain appeared in all 82 games for Utah last year, scoring 13 goals and 27 points. Selected by the Minnesota Wild in the third round (63rd overall) in the 2018 draft, McBain’s rights were traded to the then-Arizona Coyotes in 2022, and he has gone on to appear in 241 games for Arizona/Utah, producing 82 points.
The physical McBain posted 291 hits last season, just shy of his career-high of 304 during the 2022-23 season. The 6’4″, 220-pound center added 50 blocked shots and a career-high 49.8 success rate in the faceoff circle. Through parts of four NHL seasons, McBain currently averages 3.45 hits per game. His 832 hits since entering the league rank third among all players.
In the release, president of hockey operations Chris Armstrong noted McBain’s versatility and willingness to win at all costs as key factors in the deal. GM Bill Armstrong echoed those sentiments.
“He is a big, strong, physical player who competes hard on a nightly basis and brings a gritty toughness to our group. Jack is an important part of the championship-caliber team we are building, and we look forward to having him back on our roster for the foreseeable future,” Armstrong said.
Prior to being drafted, McBain spent four seasons at Boston College, where he produced 33 points in 24 games his senior year. McBain made the jump straight to the NHL after being traded to Arizona and has never appeared in an AHL game. On the international stage, the Ontario native represented Team Canada in the 2022 Olympics.
Sabres, Mammoth Elect Salary Arbitration With Bowen Byram, Jack McBain
The Sabres and Mammoth will pursue team-elected salary arbitration with defenseman Bowen Byram and center Jack McBain, respectively, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
That brings the total number of players with potential arbitration hearings this summer to 13, along with the 11 players who elected arbitration before yesterday’s deadline. As with player-elected arbitration, team-elected arbitration removes the threat of an offer sheet. The Sabres and Byram – and the Mammoth and McBain – are now locked into short-term contracts with each other if they don’t come to an agreement before their hearing.
Unlike with player-elected arbitration, a team cannot walk away from an arbitration award if the AAV is above $4.85MM since they’re the ones who pursued the hearing. They’ll be at the mercy of whatever AAV the arbitrator awards if their negotiations reach a hearing, and the player can select whether it’ll be a one or two-year contract. Both Byram and McBain could walk themselves to unrestricted free agency in 2027 by opting for two-year deals; they would still be RFAs next summer if they opted for one-year commitments.
While the tea leaves still point toward a positive outcome between McBain and Utah, the Sabres and Byram are likely going to need to take advantage of the hearing. Byram opted not to elect arbitration yesterday as he looks to cash in following a career season, something Buffalo is reluctant to do with two other left-shot defenders, Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power, already among their highest-paid players. He could have been offer-sheeted as late as today at 4:00 p.m. CT when team filings were due, but no other team decided to force the Sabres’ hand.
If things between the Sabres and Byram do need a hearing to settle, it won’t be prohibitive for Buffalo. The club still has $13.64MM in cap space remaining, per PuckPedia. That should be more than enough to handle new deals for Byram and fellow RFA defenseman Conor Timmins, who filed for player-elected arbitration.
In the meantime, Buffalo is still free to pursue a trade for Byram, although with the threat of a hearing looming, it’ll need to be a sign-and-trade unless they wait until after his arbitration award to do so.
If Byram and McBain opt for one-year deals, Buffalo and Utah cannot pursue team-elected arbitration with them again in 2026. Players can only receive one team-elected arbitration in their career, regardless of whether the situation reaches a hearing or not.
Trade Notes: Dobson, Marner, Karlsson, McBain
The opening day of the 2025 NHL Draft got off to a quick start earlier today when the New York Islanders traded defenseman Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens for Emil Heineman and a pair of first-round picks. If the Islanders’ old General Manager, Lou Lamoriello, had it his way, Dobson would have already been wearing a different Canadian team’s uniform.
According to Arthur Staple, formerly of The Athletic, Lamoriello attempted to package Dobson with other pieces at last season’s trade deadline to acquire forward Mitch Marner from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ultimately, likely due to Toronto’s disapproval at the time, no trade materialized between the two teams.
It stands to reason that the Islanders may have known Dobson was out of their price range on a long-term extension for some time, and the new administration faced similar issues as the last. At any rate, the Islanders now have approximately $21MM in cap space entering the offseason without a big-ticket extension on their horizon.
Other trade notes:
- It’s a well-known fact that the Vegas Golden Knights are looking to trim their salary cap table so they can put together a legitimate pursuit for Marner. Still, it doesn’t appear that long-time forward William Karlsson will be a part of that exodus, as David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported that there’s little activity on the Karlsson trade front. The 11-year veteran is coming off an injury-riddled season and has two years left until he reaches unrestricted free agency, making him a difficult sell to other organizations.
- According to Josh Yohe of The Athletic, the Pittsburgh Penguins are looking to capitalize on the lack of progress in contract negotiations between the Utah Mammoth and forward Jack McBain. Yohe indicated that McBain would be an ideal fit for the Penguins’ hole at third-line center, and his physicality and tertiary scoring ability are of great intrigue to General Manager Kyle Dubas.